hen Nickelodeon’s 2025 NFL Wild Card simulcast aired to more than 26 million viewers, one of the most talked-about moments wasn’t a touchdown. It was the return of DoodleBob, SpongeBob’s chaotic, scribbled nemesis. The animator behind him? Auburn University graduate Caleb Eason ’23.

It’s the kind of career most kids only dream about. For Eason, it all started with a flyer taped to a wall in Biggin Hall.

Growing up in Opelika, Eason assumed pursuing animation meant moving across the country to a specialized art school. His initial plan was to use Auburn as a “soft launch” into college and then transfer. But during his freshman year, he noticed a flyer featuring Yoda and a cartoon pig, stills from one of Auburn animation professor Jamy Wheless’ projects, and it stopped him in his tracks.

“That’s when I realized Auburn had something new and special,” Eason said. “The program was still brand new and finding its roots, but I felt a call to stay. I didn’t necessarily expect it to become home, but I wouldn’t do it any differently.”

In Auburn’s Studio Art Animation program, professors opened his eyes to every corner of the craft. One encouraged digital experimentation, another focused on 3D modeling and another explored the mechanics of movement and performance.

“Before Auburn, my idea of animation was just moving a character from point A to point B,” Eason said. “But my definition of animation changed when I realized how complex the human body is, which only deepened my desire to grow as an animator.”

Beyond the classroom, Eason spent four years working in Auburn’s Office of Communications and Marketing. Tight deadlines, fast turnarounds and real-world collaboration gave him the kind of professional foundation that set his resume apart when he applied for Nickelodeon’s competitive internship program.

Out of hundreds of applicants, Eason earned a coveted spot. The internship took him to New York City, where he spent six months learning the pace of professional production and building connections at one of the world’s most iconic networks.

That experience launched his dream career. Today, Eason is an associate producer, animator and compositor at Nickelodeon, creating promos for the network’s biggest properties, directing voiceover sessions, reviewing edits with his team and overseeing post-production schedules.

Some of his favorite career moments tie directly back to childhood. As a kid, he mailed letters to Nickelodeon and received sketches from Doug Lawrence, the voice of Plankton. Years later, as an intern, he nervously reached out to Lawrence and shared photos of that artwork. Not only did Lawrence remember sending it, he handed Eason unfinished sketches to animate and later voiced the characters in his short.

He has also sat in on recording sessions with Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob, and Bill Fagerbakke, the voice of Patrick, watching his childhood heroes improvise and bring characters to life in real time.

Eason’s journey is a full-circle reminder of how far passion and opportunity can go. Auburn gave him the foundation to turn childhood dreams into reality, and now he’s working alongside the very people who inspired him.

“Getting to work directly with the people who made the shows I grew up watching has been huge,” he said. “Some of them are even friends now, and that’s the part I’m most proud and grateful for.”