Which McDonald's character is a black-and-white striped thief introduced in 1971?

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The Hamburglar is the black-and-white striped thief character introduced by McDonald's in 1971.

The character was designed as a playful, child-friendly troublemaker whose main gag involved trying to steal hamburgers. His striped clothing, cape, and exaggerated expressions made him visually distinctive within the McDonaldland cast.

The Hamburglar's appearance changed substantially over the years. The earliest version was more grotesque and villain-like, while later advertising used a shorter, younger-looking character with a more cartoonish design. Despite those changes, the hamburger-stealing role remained the character's defining feature.

The Hamburglar is often mixed up with Captain Crook, a separate McDonaldland character associated with Filet-O-Fish advertising. He is also distinct from Grimace, who was introduced in the same broad period but served as a friendly purple companion rather than a thief.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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