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.