Brian Nagele
Enter the wacky world of McDonaldland, where well-known figures come to life and inspire creative play. We’re going to take a fun trip through the colorful and imaginative world that McDonald’s has created with this tour. Every character in this fantastical world, from the endearing Ronald McDonald to the cunning Hamburglar and the captivating Grimace, adds something special to the mix. Learn about the origins of these lovable characters, their functions in the McDonald’s universe, and the cultural influence they have had over time. Join us as we explore the charm and nostalgia sewn into the fabric of these enduring characters, regardless of your level of experience with McDonald’s or your level of familiarity with the wonders of McDonaldland.
Ronald McDonald
In my opinion, Ronald McDonald serves as the most enduring global icon of Mcdonald’s, alongside those golden arches! Ronald first appeared in TV commercials in the early 1960s. The character of Ronald McDonald was designed after another titan in television clown history: Bozo the Clown. When Bozo went off the air in 1962, the person who played Bozo invented a replacement pop culture clown to fill the void. Mcdonald’s chose their memorable mascot as the name for their recognizable global charity, Ronald McDonald House. This charity provides lodging and other support for families who have a hospitalized child.
Birdie The Early Bird
Birdie The Early Bird debuted as the first female Mcdonald’s character in 1980. This spunky feathered friend always wore clothing that resembled a flight suit, like a jumpsuit, aviator cap, and scarf. However, her flying skills were underwhelming, as early commercials starring Birdie illustrated. I remember when Birdie arrived because it also signaled the arrival of Mcdonalds’ breakfast menu, including its signature Egg McMuffin. This character introduction truly marks a pivotal turning point in Mcdonald’s history. Another icon in female animated characters voiced Birdie in those early commercials. Russi Taylor, the voice of Minnie Mouse, helped bring Birdie the Early Bird to life.
Mayor McCheese
A vibrant community like McDonaldland needs a capable person to hold everything together. Mayor McCheese served as the lovable leader of McDonald’s fantasy land in commercials during the 1970s and 1980s. This McDonaldland character appears as a human-like creature with a gigantic cheeseburger for a head. I remember his funny googly eyes and comically tiny hat perched on the side of his head. Mayor McCheese maintained his look from his first introduction and was one of the few characters to never receive a makeover. His appearance turned out to be his downfall after the character retired in the early 80s after a court found McDonald’s plagiarized many McDonaldland characters.
Hamburglar
This sneaky character ranks as one of the most memorable Mcdonald’s characters to me, perhaps because of the clever name. The Hamburglar is just what it sounds like: a red-haired, masked boy in a cape who cannot control his desire to steal McDonalds’ hamburgers. While the Hamburglar may seem like an antagonist, he thrives in friendship with the other characters of McDonaldland. During commercials, his sly plots are always good-naturedly foiled by Ronald McDonald and his other friends. The Hamburglar endured several appearance changes since his debut in 1971. I was surprised to learn the original Hamburglar was depicted as a man before his revision to the memorable child character in 1985.
Captain Crook
When the Filet ‘o Fish sandwich debuted they needed a new character to herald its arrival. Like the Hamburglar, Captain Crook’s main personality trait was his unstoppable desire for these fried fish sandwiches. Captain Crook transformed throughout his 15 years sailing McDonaldland’s seas. Captain Crook resembled more of a Muppet and less like Peter Pan’s sinister villain Captain Hook over time. He also started to refer to himself as only The Captain near the end of his reign. Captain Crook adopted his sidekick, a chatty green parrot named Matey. According to official McDonald’s lore, Captain Crook is Hungarian.
Grimace
The cheerful Ronald McDonald naturally needed a best friend in the McDonaldland universe. Who better than a massive purple blob with prominent black eyebrows named Grimace? Grimace did not debut as Ronald’s friend but rather as a menacing creature to steal milkshakes. While the other thieving characters maintained their ways, Grimace enjoyed a significant redemption arc after only one commercial. Grimace is remembered for his optimistic nature which equaled his clown soulmate. However, Grimace’s character acted consistently dimwitted and with a limited vocabulary. His signature catchphrase was “duh”. This character endured the evolution of the McDonaldland cast to become one of my favorite and most beloved icons of McDonald’s.
Officer Big Mac
Much of the good-natured conflict of McDonaldland involves various characters stealing delicious menu items from Ronald McDonald. To help Ronald keep this universe operating smoothly, Officer Big Mac arrived to crack down on fast food-related thievery. Officer Big Mac looks exactly like Mayor McCheese. He features a human-like torso, arms, and legs, wearing an old-fashioned blue police officer uniform. Instead of a human head an enormous cheeseburger wobbles, complete with a jaunty police hat reminiscent of those worn by Scotland Yard. Like many of the extended cast of characters within the McDonald’s commercial universe, Officer Big Mac fazed out in the mid-1980s.
Sundae
Did you remember that Ronald McDonald had a dog? Sundae appeared in all six of the 40-minute animated episodes called The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald. This white dog with brown spots is shown as a puppet with a human inside in the first three episodes. The other three episodes feature an animated version of Sundae. Sundae’s puppet costume is often described as creepy, which folks of my generation remember. This dog has a blue nose and a wide, red mouth with a toothy human smile. The late Verne Troyer, most recognized as the character Mini Me from the Austin Powers franchise, operated the puppet during these episodes.
The Professor
Another human character joins the cast, with The Professor. This elderly man acts as an absent-minded professor through several commercials in the 1970s and 1980s. The Professor’s most memorable campaign helped introduce the instantly-popular Chicken McNuggets in 1983. The Professor’s goofy costume included blue flannel pants, a long lab coat, a loosely tied bow tie, and big, round spectacles. A later addition to The Professor was his memorable hat with the lightbulb on top. The Professor’s character disappeared from commercials during the streamlining of the McDonaldland characters around 1985. However, The Professor’s delicious and thrilling inventions reappeared in other media projects from the fast food restaurant. This character pops up in two video games, McDonald’s Treasure Island Adventure and M.C. Kids.
Uncle O’Grimacey
The trend of developing a new McDonaldland character to welcome a fresh menu item continues with Uncle O’Grimacey. This new character introduced the tasty green Shamrock Shakes. Uncle O’Grimacey looks similar to his nephew Grimace, as a large, shapeless blob with expressive eyes. However, Uncle O’Grimacey dresses in a traditional Irish costume and is himself green all over. This character wears a green sweater vest embellished with shamrocks and carries a shillelagh, a traditional wooden cane in Ireland. This character reappeared seasonally during March to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Shamrock Shakes have a slight mint flavor and I think they taste delicious!
Fry Kids
From cheeseburgers to milkshakes, many of McDonalds’ signature menu items enjoy a McDonaldland character. Its world-famous french fries are no different from the introduction of the Fry Kids in 1972. These fluffy troublemakers look like pom-poms with googly eyes. While they were vaguely male in the beginning, later these characters developed distinct personalities and were divided into two boys and two girls. Each color Fry Kid wore unique accessories like pigtails or a baseball cap. The Fry Kids had their jingle, called “keep your eyes on the fries” and appeared in commercials and other media until 2008.
The McNugget Buddies
The McNugget Buddies rank as the most memorable of the McDonaldland characters for me. These chatty chicken nuggets introduced the instant-classic menu item of Chicken McNuggets in 1983. Unlike many of the other characters on this list, the McNugget Buddies shined as Happy Meal toys more than characters in TV commercials or video games. The small, round plastic shapes of the McNugget Buddies each featured a unique expression and could be outfitted with fun, seasonal outfits. During Halloween, Mcdonald’s released delightful Happy Meal toys featuring the McNugget Buddies for several consecutive years.
CosMc
When original characters like Mayor McCheese and The Professor fazed out around 1985, other McDonaldland friends were developed to take their place. CosMc represents one of the fresh characters introduced in this second phase from the late 80s to early 90s. CosMc is an alien who visits Earth to fulfill his McDonald’s craving. This alien features several hands encircling his entire body at his midsection. CosMc has a yellow body and antennae and resembles a slug. He usually appears with a wide, toothy smile. I remember this character appearing in several TV commercials and print advertising campaigns until 1992.
Happy
In the early 2000s, McDonald’s decided to reduce how much Ronald McDonald appeared in commercials and other media. To replace their most iconic character, the corporation developed Happy. Happy represents the signature bright red Happy Meal box that has come to life. Happy arrived in 2009, first in McDonald’s franchises in France. This character gradually caught on and was introduced to United States audiences in 2014. Happy did not catch on in the US and was removed in 2020. However, this character still appears throughout Europe. Happy’s primary purpose is to encourage kids to choose healthy Happy Meal options like apple slices.
Iam Hungry
This cleverly-named character flies under the radar on this list of McDonald’s characters. While he was a short-lived cast member, Iam Hungry appeared across several different places in McDonaldland. Officially called the VP of Snacking, Iam Hungry’s job appeared to be annoying Ronald McDonald until he received some free McDonalds. Iam Hungry is a floating green blob with fangs and purple lips and tongue. I remember him as McDonalds’ first computer-animated character. Iam Hungry appears both in commercials in the 1990s and stars in the 1999 animated video The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald: The Visitors from Outer Space.
Mac Tonight
McDonald’s wanted to improve sales during dinner in the late 1980s. The fast food corporation developed Mac Tonight, a musical character starring in a new commercial campaign for about two years. Mac Tonight, like Mayor McCheese, contains a human-like lower body and an oversized object-shaped head. Mac Tonight’s head is shaped like a huge, silver crescent moon. His character plays piano and acts like a crooner from the 1940s. The character’s name is a play on the 1959 song “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin. Darin’s estate sued McDonald’s, which ended the Mac Tonight campaign in 1989.
Trash Cans
When McDonaldland characters aren’t introducing new menu items, they are encouraging good behavior in its young audience. I remember these goofy and strangely cute Trash Cans from old-fashioned TV campaigns from the 1970s. These Trash Cans influenced children to throw their waste away after eating at McDonald’s. The cans wore red bowties and sported big googly eyes in their handful of commercial spots. The 1970s are remembered for a heightened awareness of environmentalism and anti-littering messages. McDonald’s commercials in the 1970s relied heavily on the idea of McDonaldland. These Trash Can characters helped build a fun universe while spreading a positive message.
Bernice
The lovable Bernice appeared in TV commercials with Ronald McDonald for a decade, from 1992 to 2001. While this puppet is strange-looking, Bernice becomes another character to love in McDonaldland. Bernice does not speak and walks on all fours. She has a long snout like an anteater, scales along her back like a stegosaurus, fangs, and horns. Bernice appears to be the size of a large dog. The main personality characteristic of Bernice remains her ability to eat anything. In one memorable commercial, Bernice eats the script and throws everyone into chaos.
Ronald McDonald and Friends