Peter Bennett, a long-time art director on Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants franchise, sadly passed away on Friday, May 17, 2024, aged 57.
Peter was born on 19 July 1967 in San Pedro, California, and was best known for being one of the main background painters in the series, throughout 182 episodes total between 1999 and 2014, as well as being the hand actor for the character Hans after "Suds" (although his voice is provided by Tom Kenny).
Along with this, he was also known for being one of the main art directors for 161 episodes between 2005 and 2021, some including "Squeaky Boots," "SB-129," "Hooky," and "Wet Painters," among many others. His acrylic paintings are immediately recognizable for long-time viewers of the show; they are mainly used for backgrounds, promotional materials, and especially detailed close-up shots.
He has also provided art direction for the show ChalkZone, the first two SpongeBob movies, and spin-offs Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years and The Patrick Star Show, as well as artwork for SpongeBob Comics, Nautical Nonsense: A Tribute to SpongeBob SquarePants, and San Diego Comic-Con 2016.
News of Peter's passing was announced by SpongeBob writer Kenny Pittenger on Instagram. In his post, Kenny paid tribute to his long-time friend and coworker, saying: "We lost a long-time friend & coworker last night. Peter Bennett was the Art Director on SpongeBob for many years and a heck of a ping-pong player. This is one of his paintings. He will be missed."
Fellow SpongeBob background artist Amy Lewis also paid tribute to Peter on X, saying: "In memory of our long time Art Director on SpongeBob Squarepants, Peter Bennett 💔😪
Wonderful paintings by Peter. What a huge loss. I'm just so grateful to have had the privilege to work with him. I'll never forget the day I met him. Rest in peace, Peter x #SpongeBobSquarePants".
In memory of our long time Art Director on SpongeBob Squarepants, Peter Bennett 💔😪
— Amy Lewis (@AmyLewis_Art) May 18, 2024
Wonderful paintings by Peter. What a huge loss. I'm just so grateful to have had the privilege to work with him. I'll never forget the day I met him. Rest in peace, Peter x #SpongeBobSquarePants pic.twitter.com/82d5l16H3Y
A selection of Peter's art can be found on his official Instagram page, https://www.instagram.com/peterbennettart.
R.I.P. Peter Bennett, July 19, 1967 - May 17, 2024.
Sources: @WakkoKing, @NickSchedules, IMDb (II), Encyclopedia SpongeBobia, @KeydalisColo.
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