The cast of Nickelodeon’s all-time favorite cartoon, SpongeBob SquarePants, reunited at a Comic Con in New York, where they discussed highlights of the show, including an episode starring Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway in their Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy characters.
During the program’s 25th anniversary panel at the event, Bill Fagerbakke, who voiced Patrick Star, said it was incredible working with the comedic duo for the first time in season one. It also reminded him of his childhood, as he admitted to feeling like a 7-year-old in the studio.
Remembering Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway
Sandy Cheeks’ Carolyn Lawrence was also on the panel, agreeing with Bill on the Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy cameo episode being her favorite. She also enjoyed watching them play behind the scenes and commended their lasting working relationship.
Also discussed on stage were show writer Mr. Lawrence, executive producers Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller, Squidward’s Rodger Bumpass, Mr. Krab’s Clancy Brown, and Tom Kenny, who played the star of the show SpongeBob. He noted that Ernest and Tim’s reemergence with SpongeBob brought them a sense of relevance among the newer generation.
Tim Conway retired his cartoon character after Ernest Borgnine’s passing
Tim and Ernest voiced their respective characters across 15 episodes until 2012, when the latter died of renal failure at 95. This was Tim’s cue to quit, as he could not continue without his lifelong partner. The showrunners had to use their archived recordings for subsequent episodes featuring Tim and Ernest.
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Tim died seven years after Ernest of normal pressure hydrocephalus, which is accumulated water in the brain. Aside from being Barnacle Boy, he was also a fan-favorite on The Carol Burnett Show, which earned him multiple accolades, Golden Globe nods, and Primetime Emmys.
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