TVSquad

I'm going to say "probably not," but this fellow, who once drew a face on a household sponge, feels differently. Cartoonist Troy Walker created a character named Bob Spongee in 1991. Years later, in 1999, Nickelodeon premiered SpongeBob SquarePants, created by marine biologist and former teacher Stephen Hillenburg. Walker is convinced his idea was stolen, and has filed suit against Nickelodeon parent company Viacom for $1.6 billion in damages.

I'm no big city lawyer, but I don't think Walker has much of a case. He thinks it's too much of a coincidence that both characters are sponges and named Bob, but I don't find it all that odd. "Bob" is a pretty common name, perfect for a kid's cartoon, whether it's on TV or in print. The fact that both of them are sponges seems like not much more than a coincidence based on Walker's funny idea of drawing a face on a sponge, and Hillenburg wanting to create an animated series about wacky underwater lifeforms.

In 1992, Walker made Bob Spongee dolls from real sponges, wrapped them in plastic with the slogan "Sponge for Hire," and sold them on the streets. He claims a SpongeBob video released in 1999 with the title "Sponge for Hire!" is proof he was ripped off.