Patricks. SpongeBob SquarePants is an American comedy animation directed by Sherman Cohen, Walter Duh, Sam Henderson, Paul Tibbett, and voiced by Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Roger Bupas, etc. It was launched on July 17, 1999 on Nickelodeon International Children's Channel, and the show guess who the black shadow is Patrick Star. The storyline of SpongeBob SquarePants revolves around the protagonist SpongeBob SquarePants and his best friend Patrick, his neighbor Squidward, and his boss Mr. Krabs, with scenes set at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, in a city known as Bikini Bottom.