Bubble transitions
Bubble transitions, also known as bubble wipes, are a recurring element of SpongeBob SquarePants episodes. They are a transition effect that show copious amounts of bubbles floating up from the bottom of the screen as the scene the transition plays on cuts to the next scene.
Variants
There are some episodes or scenes in episodes where the bubble transition is replaced with another transition effect, mostly but not exclusively in the earlier episodes.
- In "Tea at the Treedome," after Template:Data:Links says, "They should call you SpongeBob FancyPants," the screen wipes. Also after Sandy says, "Come on!" and Patrick says to her, "We've got to get out!", the screen dissolves.
- In "Ripped Pants," the screen rips apart right after the scene with Template:Data:Links pretending to drown, promptly annoying everyone. Every other transition in the episode is a wipe transition.
- In "Jellyfishing," the only transitions used in the episode are fades.
- In "Plankton!," after SpongeBob and Plankton's first meeting on SpongeBob's way home, the screen fades to SpongeBob's house.
- In "Naughty Nautical Neighbors," wipe transitions are used both after Patrick falls asleep at Squidward's house and after SpongeBob reads Squidward's invitation to his dinner party.
- In "Boating School," after SpongeBob fails the first test of the episode, the screen fades to his house. Later, after SpongeBob says, "Mrs. Puff... I think I cheated," the screen fades to black and then fades back from black when Mrs. Puff is getting carried in an ambulance.
- In "Pizza Delivery," a wipe transition is used between the scene inside the Krusty Krab and the vehicle inspection scene.
- In "Jellyfish Jam," a wipe transition is used after SpongeBob decides to take the jellyfish home.
- In "Pickles," the scene simply fades to the Krusty Krab after Mr. Krabs says "It's time."
- In "I Was a Teenage Gary," wipe transitions are used both after SpongeBob notices Template:Data:Links's unhealthy condition and after Template:Data:Links is injected with snail plasma.
- In "Sleepy Time," after Dream Gary says, "come," a wipe transition is used.
- In "Suds," in the montage of Patrick trying to treat SpongeBob, the transition from one treatment to another treatment is pink bubbles representing bubbles caused by the suds appearing and popping.
- In "Valentine's Day," they are replaced with hearts.
- In "Texas," they are replaced with a page turning like the scene was a page in a book.
- In "Bossy Boots," after SpongeBob and Template:Data:Links decide on a new name for the Krusty Krab, an explosion of stars and hearts is used as a transition.
- In "Prehibernation Week," they are replaced with SpongeBob and Template:Data:Links doing extreme sports during the extreme sporting games.
- In "Krabs vs. Plankton," the screen wipes after Plankton fakes his injury, followed by a dissolve before SpongeBob skips to Mr. Krabs' office.
- In "Squidtastic Voyage," the bubble transition after the opening titles is replaced with a wipe.
- In "Greasy Buffoons," the transitioning bubbles are replaced with grease.
- In "Planet of the Jellyfish," the first transition bubble is replaced with Jelliens.
- In "It's a SpongeBob Christmas!," the transitioning bubbles are replaced with snowflakes and one transitioning scene with coal.
- In "Squid Defense," karate chop transitions are used instead of the regular transitions.
- In "SpongeBob's Place," after Template:Data:Links builds a trench filled with molten lava near the Krusty Krab door, the customers step over him to go to SpongeBob's Place. After Krabs' plan to keep his customers backfires, the transitioning bubbles to the next scene are replaced with the lava bubbles.
- In "There's a Sponge in My Soup," the transitioning bubbles are replaced with paisleys.
- In "Karen's Virus," the transitioning bubbles are replaced with computer stuff.
- In "Stormy Weather," the transitioning bubbles are replaced with raindrops.
- In "Mind the Gap," the transitioning bubbles are replaced with music notes.
- In "There Will Be Grease," the transitioning bubbles are replaced with bottles of Everything Juice.
- In "Patrick the Mailman," the transitioning bubbles are replaced with snowflakes.
- In "SquidBird," the transitioning bubbles are replaced with clams.
Trivia
- "Reef Blower," "Krusty Krab Training Video," and "Boat Smarts" are the only episodes without any bubble transitions, even in the opening credits. "Bubblestand," "The Camping Episode," and "Dear Vikings" also do not feature any bubble transitions outside the opening credits. "Help Wanted" and "SB-129" have only one bubble transition.
- "Rock Bottom" is the only episode to end with a bubble transition.
- In some earlier episodes, text can mistakenly be seen at the bottom of the screen during bubble transitions:
- In "Squidville," for a brief second, a bubble transition is shown and "Rough Draft Korea" appears at the bottom of the screen. This error was made by Rough Draft Studios in South Korea where they animate the episode. Also, it mentions a date ("DATE: 08 / 30 / 00"; August 30, 2000), which is when this episode was in the process of being animated by Rough Draft Studios.
- In "Chocolate with Nuts," for a brief second, a bubble transition was shown with a date of Friday, September 14, 2001 at the bottom of the screen.
- In "SpongeBob Meets the Strangler," for a brief second, a bubble transition was shown with Rough Draft Korea and a date of Friday, May 17, 2002 at the bottom of the screen.
- In "Have You Seen This Snail?," for a brief second, a bubble transition was shown with Rough Draft Korea at the bottom of the screen.
- In "Skill Crane," for a brief second, a bubble transition was shown with Rough Draft Korea at the bottom of the screen.
- In "Born to Be Wild," SpongeBob breaks the fourth wall by riding on a bubble transition.
- In "Truth or Square" and all episodes since "Extreme Spots," the transitions were updated with slightly fewer bubbles and are larger in order to fit the 720p/1080i high-definition screen.
- In "Truth or Square," as well as season 9 episodes up until "SpongeBob You're Fired," and season 13 episodes starting with "Lockdown for Love," a different sound effect is used for the bubble transitions.
- "A Place for Pets" is currently the latest episode to use the old bubble wipe sound.
- "Tutor Sauce" has 14 bubble transitions, the most out of any episode.