Which McDonald's character debuted in 1971 as a mischievous burger thief?

The Hamburglar debuted in 1971 as a mischievous burger thief for McDonald's advertising.

The character was part of the McDonaldland cast, a fictional setting created to give McDonald's television commercials a shared group of memorable personalities. The Hamburglar's central joke was simple: he constantly tried to steal hamburgers, especially Big Macs, while being stopped or exposed by the other characters.

His original appearance was darker and more complicated than the later version most audiences remember. McDonald's redesigned him in the 1980s with a smaller, childlike appearance, black-and-white clothing, a red cape, and a more playful personality. The redesign made the character fit better with the family-oriented tone of the advertising.

The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with Grimace or Mayor McCheese, but those characters had different roles in McDonaldland. The Hamburglar's defining brand function was his comic obsession with hamburgers.