Editing McDonaldland (section)

==Characters==
{{Redirect|Hamburglar|the ice hockey player|Andrew Hammond (ice hockey)}}
* '''[[Ronald McDonald]]''' – The primary cultural icon and official mascot of McDonald's. He is a [[clown]] with red hair and a big red smile who wears a yellow [[jumpsuit]] and red shoes.
* '''The Hamburglar''' (performed by [[Frank Delfino]] from 1971–1992, [[Jerry Maren]] in some commercials, Tommy Vicini from 1992–2003,<ref name="The Los Angeles Times">{{cite news |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-02-22-mn-31309-story.html |title= Frank J. Delfino; Actor Played Hamburglar |date= February 22, 1997 |work= Los Angeles Times |access-date= 2018-06-27 |archive-date= 2016-06-03 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160603165507/http://articles.latimes.com/1997-02-22/news/mn-31309_1_frank-j-delfino |url-status= live }}</ref><ref name="San Jose Mercury News">{{cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SJ&s_site=mercurynews&p_text_direct-0=0EB7207B8FCE6642&p_field_direct-0=document_id|title=Frank J. Delfino, Television's Hamburglar|url-access=subscription|date=February 23, 1997|work=San Jose Mercury News|access-date=June 27, 2018|archive-date=June 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627173106/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SJ&s_site=mercurynews&p_text_direct-0=0EB7207B8FCE6642&p_field_direct-0=document_id|url-status=live}}</ref> voiced by [[Larry Storch]] from 1971–1986, [[Charlie Adler]] in "The Hamburglar Touch" commercial and in ''[[The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald]]'', [[Howard Morris]] from 1986–2003, and Carl W. Wolfe in some commercials during the 1990s<ref name="Voice Chasers">{{cite web| url= https://voicechasers.com/database/showprod.php?prodid=2575 |title= McDonald's vocal credits| website= voicechasers.com| publisher= Voice Chasers| date= |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20141216232451/https://voicechasers.com/database/showprod.php?prodid=2575| archivedate= December 16, 2014| url-status= dead| access-date= September 27, 2021}}</ref>) – A pint-sized [[burglary|burglar]] who was introduced in 1971 as one of the first antagonists of the commercials where he often attempts to steal hamburgers and cheeseburgers from Ronald. He was often referred to in his first commercial appearances as "the crafty old Hamburglar" and at least one ad promoting McDonald's breakfast menu as "The Lone Jogger", wearing a white T-shirt displaying that name on the front. Originally, the Hamburglar spoke in a gibberish language of "robble robble" which had to be translated by Captain Crook. He was reintroduced in 1985 as one of the main protagonists, with a radically friendlier appearance, where he spoke in normal sentences (but still peppered with "robble"), but retained his penchant for trying to steal burgers. In 2015, McDonald's brought back the Hamburglar as part of the promotion of a new sirloin burger.<ref>Katie Lobosco, "[https://money.cnn.com/2015/05/06/news/companies/mcdonalds-new-hamburglar/ McDonald's has a new Hamburglar] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200908073255/https://money.cnn.com/2015/05/06/news/companies/mcdonalds-new-hamburglar/ |date=2020-09-08 }}", ''[[CNNMoney]]'' (May 7, 2015).</ref>
* '''Grimace''' (performed by Patty Saunders from 1971–1983, Mauri Bernstein in some '80s commercials, Terry Castillo-Faass from 1983–2000, voiced by [[Lennie Weinrib]] from 1971–1986, [[Frank Welker]] and sometimes Larry Moran from 1986–2003,<ref name="Voice Chasers"/> [[Kevin Michael Richardson]] in ''[[The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald]]'') – A large purple [[monster]] who was introduced in November 1971 as the "Evil Grimace". In Grimace's first appearances, he was one of the original main antagonists and was depicted with two pairs of arms which were used to steal milkshakes and [[Coca-Cola|Cokes]]. "Evil" was soon dropped from Grimace's name and he was reintroduced in 1972 as a protagonist where he only has one set of arms. He was then a rather clumsy, but still amiable monster from then on. His exact nature has been disputed: in a 2010 interview, a McDonald's spokesperson said that Grimace was a [[taste bud]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.benzinga.com/news/22/01/22848706/is-mcdonalds-grimace-really-a-giant-taste-bud|title=Is McDonald's Grimace Really A Giant Taste Bud? - McDonald's (NYSE:MCD)|first=Phil|last=Hall|website=Benzinga}}</ref> A 2014 [[Twitter|Tweet]] from the McDonald's Twitter account stated "Grimace [[Canon (fiction)|lore]] says he is the embodiment of a [[milkshake]] or a taste bud."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.today.com/food/trends/mcdonalds-manager-reveals-grimace-rcna1895|title=What the heck is Grimace? McDonald's manager's answer has people 'reeling'|website=TODAY.com|date=8 June 2023 }}</ref> In 2021, Brian Bates, a franchisee in Canada, stated in an interview widely reported on in the press that Grimace is an anthropomorphic [[taste bud]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/windsor-mcdonalds-manager-grimace-1.6156688|website=CBC|date=August 29, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/food/whats-a-grimace-mcdonalds-manager-clarifies-and-the-answer-has-people-reeling/|title=What Is Grimace? McDonald's Manager Clarifies Burning Question About Beloved Character}}</ref> Writing in The Takeout, Lillian Stone disputed this, pointing out other material that established that Grimace was part of a species of Grimaces, including his Uncle O'Grimacey who promoted the [[Shamrock Shake]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thetakeout.com/is-grimace-a-taste-bud-mcdonalds-1847606176|website=The Takeout|date=September 2, 2021|first=Lillian|last=Stone|title=McDonald's manager says Grimace is a taste bud }}</ref> To celebrate the 51 year anniversary of the character's inception, in 2023, McDonalds ran a promotion to celebrate Grimace's birthday with the release of the [[Grimace Shake]], which became an [[Internet meme]] on [[social media]] platforms.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Placido |first=Dani Di |title=McDonald's 'Grimace Shake' Meme, Explained |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2023/06/28/mcdonalds-grimace-shake-meme-explained/ |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> On June 12, 2024, Grimace threw the [[ceremonial first pitch]] at a [[New York Mets]] game, who were struggling at the time. After his appearance, the Mets went on a seven game winning streak and Grimace was embraced by the team's fans.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kirshner |first=Alex |title='Bow before the KING': did gay icon Grimace save the Mets' season? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jun/18/bow-before-the-king-did-grimace-save-the-new-york-mets-season |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=The Guardian |date=18 June 2024 |language=en}}</ref> In September 2024, the Mets unveiled a purple seat at [[Citi Field]], their home ballpark, to honor Grimace's connection with the team and its fans.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Beach |first=Jerry |title=Purple place: Mets unveil the new Grimace seat at Citi Field |url=https://apnews.com/article/mets-grimace-seat-citi-field-7507393b90dadce40682024de63094d8 |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Associated Press |date=16 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref> Grimace rode a [[7 (New York City Subway service)|7 subway train]] branded with imagery featuring the character to Citi Field just before Game 3 of the [[2024 National League Division Series]] between the Mets and the [[Philadelphia Phillies]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rahmanan|first=Anna |date=October 8, 2024 |title=See Grimace ride the 7 train to the Mets game in Citi Field |url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/see-grimace-ride-the-7-train-to-the-mets-game-in-citi-field-right-now-100824 |access-date=October 9, 2024 |website=Time Out |language=en}}</ref> 

[[File:Fry Kid Perched on McDonald's Sign.jpg|thumb|A blue Fry Kid is seen sitting on a McDonald's sign in [[Greenfield, Wisconsin]].]]
* '''Fry Kids''' (various voices in the commercials, [[Kath Soucie]], Paul Greenberg and [[Nika Futterman]] in ''The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald'') – Introduced in 1972 as "Gobblins", the Fry Kids are small, shaggy, ball-like creatures with legs and no arms who try to steal other characters' French fries; they include both male Fry Guys and female Fry Girls. In 1998, Fry Kid #1 is yellow, Fry Kid #2 is red, and Fry Kid #3 is blue.
* '''Birdie the Early Bird''' (performed by [[Felix Silla]] 1979–1986, [[Patty Maloney]] 1986–2001, voiced by [[Russi Taylor]] in the commercials,<ref name="Voice Chasers"/> [[Christine Cavanaugh]] in ''[[The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald]]'') – A yellow [[bird]] wearing a pink [[jumpsuit]], flight cap and scarf who was introduced in 1980 as the first female character. Made to promote the company's new breakfast items, she is depicted as a poor flyer and a somewhat clumsy person in general.
* '''The Happy Meal Gang''' – Introduced in 1979, they were joined by the McNugget Buddies in 1984 and the Happy Meal Box and the Under 3 Toy in 1992. They consist of The Happy Meal Hamburger (voiced by [[Bob Arbogast]] and later voiced by [[Jim Cummings]]<ref name="Voice Chasers"/>), the Happy Meal Fries (voiced by [[Jeff Winkless]] and later voiced by [[Bob Bergen]] and then [[Tress MacNeille]]<ref name="Voice Chasers"/>) and the Happy Meal Drink (voiced by [[Hal Smith (actor)|Hal Smith]] and later voiced by [[Bill Farmer]]<ref name="Voice Chasers"/>). The Happy Meal Box character was never voiced, but became a standalone part of marketing campaign for Happy Meals during the 2010s.
* '''Uncle O'Grimacey''' (performed by [[Robert Towers]], voiced by [[Lennie Weinrib]]<ref name="Voice Chasers"/>) – Introduced in 1977 for an advertising narrative of McDonald's both in celebration of [[Saint Patrick's Day]] and to mark the annual appearance of the [[Shamrock Shake]], he is depicted as Grimace's uncle.
* '''CosMc''' (performed by Tommy Vicini, voiced by [[Frank Welker]]<ref name="Voice Chasers"/>) – An [[Extraterrestrial life|alien]] who appeared in commercials during the mid-1980s. CosMc was a character in the [[video game]] ''[[M.C. Kids]]''. The character occasionally came to steal food for his planet, CosMcland. It also spoke in a mixture of robot-esque sounds and normal speech.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kammerlohr |first=Emily |date=2017-08-25 |title=McDonald's Characters: Who Are Grimace, CosMc, & More? |url=https://www.thedailymeal.com/1475517/mcdonalds-characters-who-are-grimace-cosmc/ |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=The Daily Meal |language=en-US}}</ref> The character was used as an inspiration for the spin-off restaurant [[CosMc's]].
* '''The McNugget Buddies''' (variously voiced by [[Greg Berg]], [[Pat Fraley]], [[Katie Leigh]], [[Pat Musick]], [[Don Messick]], [[Hal Rayle]], and [[Frank Welker]] in the commercials,<ref name="Voice Chasers"/> [[Pamela Adlon]], Lisa Raggio and [[Charlie Adler]] in ''The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald'') – A bunch of anthropomorphic regular-sized [[Chicken McNuggets]] who were introduced in 1984. In 1998–2003, McNugget #1's comb, arms and boots are blue, McNugget #2's are red, and McNugget #3's are purple.
* '''Bernice''' (performed by [[Tim Blaney]] and Tony Urbano) – A strange creature that was introduced in 1992 and that ate inedible things like the script in the three-part "Ronald McDonald Makin' Movies" commercial.
* '''Vulture''' – An unnamed [[vulture]] who spoke in a monotone voice.
* '''Sundae''' (performed by [[Verne Troyer]], voiced by [[Dee Bradley Baker]]) – Ronald's dog who has appeared only in ''[[The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald]]'' where he was animated with puppetry. The animatronic Sundae was created by Optic Nerve Studios, Inc. Troyer was assisted in performing Sundae by puppeteers Mark Garbarino, Bryan Blair, Russell Shinkle and Shaun Smith. One commercial involving Ronald using the McDonald's sign as a pogo stick depicted Sundae as an actual dog.
* '''Iam Hungry''' (voiced by Jeff Lupetin<ref name="Voice Chasers"/>) – A short-lived McDonaldland character who was introduced in 1998 and was dropped in 2001. Self-proclaimed as the "Vice President of Snacking", the character is a floating, fast-moving green fuzzball with orange arms and a monstrous face who has a big appetite.
* '''Mike the Microphone''' – A one-time character created especially for the [[Kid Rhino]] albums ''Ronald Makes It Magic'' and ''Ronald McDonald Presents Silly Sing Along''. Voiced by Larry Moran.

===Former characters===
These characters have not appeared since the 1980s, and the reason remains unknown. Though many assume it had something to do with the lawsuit, this might be incorrect as Mayor McCheese and Officer Big Mac both appear in the 2020 [[Funko]] McDonaldland Pop! Vinyl! figures.

* '''Mayor McCheese''' (performed by [[Billy Curtis]] from 1971–1979, [[Jerry Maren]] from 1980–1985, voiced by [[Howard Morris]] impersonating [[Ed Wynn]] in the commercials,<ref name="Voice Chasers"/> [[Bob Joles]] impersonating Wynn in ''[[The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald]]'') – An enormous [[cheeseburger]]-headed character who first appeared in 1971 and was removed in 1985. He sported a [[top hat]], a diplomat's sash and a pair of [[pince-nez]] spectacles and was portrayed as McDonaldland's bumbling and incompetent [[mayor]]. He was the subject of a lawsuit filed by Sid and Marty Krofft for similarities to [[H.R. Pufnstuf]]; specifically, both were characters with enormous heads who served as the elected leader of a fantastical setting.

[[File:Officer big mac playground.jpg|right|thumb|Officer Big Mac climb-in jail playground]]
* '''Officer Big Mac''' (performed by [[Jerry Maren]], voiced by [[Ted Cassidy]]<ref name="Voice Chasers"/>) – Introduced in 1971 and dropped in 1985, he is similar to Mayor McCheese in appearance in that he has a large burger for a head. In his case, his head is a [[Big Mac]] (minus the vegetables and special sauce) rather than a cheeseburger. Officer Big Mac is the [[chief of police]] and as such he wears a [[constable]]'s uniform with a disproportionately small [[custodian helmet]] resting atop his head bun. As the main source of law and order in McDonaldland, Officer Big Mac spends most of his time chasing Hamburglar and Captain Crook.
* '''Captain Crook''' (performed by [[Robert Towers]], voiced by [[Larry Storch]] in 1971–1983, [[Tim Blaney]] in 1984–1985<ref name="Voice Chasers"/>) – A [[Piracy|pirate captain]] who was introduced in 1971 as one of the main antagonists and dropped in 1985. Captain Crook steals [[Filet-O-Fish]] sandwiches and often interprets Hamburglar's gibberish. He was revised in 1984 with a [[The Muppets|Muppet]]-like appearance and later became simply known as "The Captain" where he has a parrot and operates the S.S. ''Filet-O-Fish''.
* '''The Professor''' (portrayed by [[Lou Wagner]], voiced by [[John Stephenson (actor)|John Stephenson]] in the 1970s, [[Andre Stojka]] in the 1980s<ref name="Voice Chasers"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 8, 2016 |title=Filming In McDonaldland Facebook post on a page about The Professor from the 1972 McDonaldland Specification Manual. |url=https://www.facebook.com/FilmingInMcDonaldland/photos/a.2084196478312298/1228862200512401/ |website=Facebook}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 16, 2020 |title=Filming In McDonaldland Facebook post on a page about The Professor from the 1975 "McDonaldland Specification Manual" |url=https://www.facebook.com/FilmingInMcDonaldland/photos/3061807777217825/ |website=Facebook}}</ref>) – A [[scientist]] who is McDonaldland's inventor and researcher. He was introduced in 1971 and has invented different devices throughout McDonaldland such as the Psychedelic Electronic Hamburger Machine (which made only pumpkins for some reason), the Dinner Gong, an invisible car that helped Ronald McDonald get to McDonald's to meet with the kids, a magnetic bat, and the Chicken McNugget Dip-O-Matic. In his first appearances, he was a bespectacled man with a beard, neck-length hair, and a hat. In the 80s, he was a bespectacled man with a moustache, a long nose, and a helmet with a lightbulb on it. The character was dropped in 1985.

=== New character ===

* '''Happy''' – an anthropomorphic [[Happy Meal]] box introduced in 2009, he is the current mascot of McDonald's, replacing Ronald McDonald. His features include his boxy red body, a wide smile, human-like teeth and eyes, and flexible slender arms and legs. He has been shown to live in "Happy City", along with others who look like him. During promotional campaigns, he has interacted with popular characters such as the [[Minions (Despicable Me)|Minions]] and [[Mario|Super Mario]], among others.