Which McDonald's character was introduced as a hamburger-stealing villain in 1971?

The Hamburglar was introduced as a hamburger-stealing villain in McDonald's branding in 1971.

The character became part of McDonaldland, the fictional advertising setting created around Ronald McDonald and other mascots. Early versions of the Hamburglar were depicted as a small, older-looking criminal who tried to take hamburgers. His repeated attempts were comic rather than genuinely threatening.

McDonald's later redesigned the character as a younger figure wearing a black-and-white striped outfit, cape, gloves, and a broad-brimmed hat. The redesign made him more visually appealing to children and easier to use in television commercials and promotional material.

The Hamburglar is often confused with Captain Crook, another McDonaldland villain associated with Filet-O-Fish promotions. Their identities were separate, and the Hamburglar's defining target was the hamburger. Both characters belonged to the wider period of character-based McDonald's advertising.