Draft:Gary the Snail

Gary the Snail, or simply Gary, is a fictional character in the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is an anthropomorphic sea snail created and designed by animator Stephen Hillenburg and voiced by Tom Kenny. Gary made his debut in the series' pilot episode "Help Wanted" on May 1, 1999.

The character received critical acclaim, being involved in other media such as plush toys and achieving popularity from both children and adults.

Role in SpongeBob SquarePants
He lives as SpongeBob's 'pet' snail, but SpongeBob is often seen treating him more like a son, although SpongeBob is often oblivious to Gary's needs and more eager to put his own desires ahead of Gary's. Gary is often shown to have superior intelligence, possibly being the smartest individual in Bikini Bottom, and often acts as a straight man and voice of reason to the other characters. He acts as a loyalmascot, being able to do things such as cook for and prepare SpongeBob for his occupation and often solves problems that SpongeBob cannot. He enjoys eating almost anything, ranging from human food to infectious fungus.

Merchandising
Gary the Snail has been featured in various merchandises such as plush toys. In 2006, Ty Inc.'s Beanie Babies introduced a plush toy based on the character. A keychain based on the character was also released by Ty Inc.