Spongebob Terrifies With Surprise Junji Ito Makeover

By Evan Valentine

Nickelodeon's Spongebob Squarepants doesn't get too spooky that often, though there have been episodes that have seen their fair share of creepy moments arise. While the universe focusing on Bikini Bottom has continued releasing new episodes for decades, and may continue to do so for more, Spongebob has never received a stranger crossover than the one that just arrived thanks to his Official Twitter Account. We've seen Spongebob in many different animation styles, but never by horror artist Junji Ito, until today.             

Spongebob Squarepants first hit the scene in 1999, slowly rising in popularity to become one of the biggest properties that NIckelodeon has. With hundreds of episodes and a handful of feature-length films under its belt, the story of Krusty Krab has continued for decades, introducing us to the undersea denizens of Bikini Bottom such as Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Sandy, Squidward, and countless others. Spongebob hasn't received an official anime himself, though fans online have taken the opportunity to imagine what the fry cook might have looked like if he emerged from Japan rather than North America and considering how the animated series remains popular, we might very well get an official version at some point down the line.

The Official Spongebob Squarepants Twitter Account shared a disturbing new visual for Spongebob, merging the sponge with the grotesque imagery of Junji Ito that first emerged from Uzumaki, the story that saw a town that was obsessed with spirals and found themselves cursed in countless terrifying ways:

Junji Ito has spent decades creating unique manga and is showing no signs of stopping any time soon, with two upcoming anime adaptations set to arrive via Adult Swim and Netflix. Junji Ito's Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre will be an anthology series arriving on the streaming service, including stories such as The Hanging Balloons, Where The Sandman Dwells, Tomie, and many others. Toonami's Uzumaki has been touted by anime fans as looking the closest to Ito's artwork though the series has been delayed indefinitely thanks in part to the coronavirus pandemic. 

What do you think of this spookily surreal crossover? Do you think we'll one day see an official Spongebob anime? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Junji Ito. 

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