Which McDonald’s character first appeared in 1971 as a striped-shirted burger thief?

The Hamburglar first appeared in 1971 as a striped-shirted burger thief.

The character became part of McDonaldland, McDonald’s fictional advertising world populated by colorful figures connected with the restaurant’s food and products. In his early form, the Hamburglar was portrayed as a small, mischievous character who tried to steal hamburgers, giving commercials a recurring comic conflict.

His visual design changed over time. The original version was more ghostlike and less child-friendly, while later campaigns presented him as a younger, more stylized character in a black-and-white striped outfit. The simplified design became the version most widely remembered by audiences.

The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with characters such as Grimace or Mayor McCheese. Those figures had different roles in McDonaldland and were not defined by stealing hamburgers.