Cap’n Crunch
A naval man who’s been successfully protecting his cereal from the clutches of nefarious pirates since 1963 and adorned with a serious white mustache and emblems heralding a lifetime of service, Cap’n Crunch — full name: Horatio Magellan Crunch — is a calm, steady hero who obviously isn’t offended by the public contraction of his hard won military title. Piloting the S.S. Guppy with a crew of children — which at first does indeed come off as disturbing — and a human-sized dog, his repeated proclamation that his cereal stays crunchy in milk is as sound a welcome as a foghorn on a visually challenging night. He is the fifth most popular cereal mascot.
Lucky the Leprechaun
Despite his name, this mascot always finds himself in the same unfortunate situation time and again. A pair of troublesome kids — usually a white boy and girl — blatantly try to steal his cereal in broad daylight. Yet with the aid of a leprechaun’s magic, Lucky then devises an escape and reliably takes that time to remind whoever might be watching this tense scenario about the alluring colored, shapely marshmallows to be found in Lucky Charms. These mortal children, however, tend to still somehow best their prey’s otherworldly abilities, landing him and his beloved breakfast into their unrightly possession. But Lucky is a forgiving soul and will end up sharing a meal with his former pursuers, now captors, justifying the whole ordeal by the fact that Lucky Charms are indeed magically delicious. He is the fourth most popular cereal mascot.
Count Chocula
In all, Monster Cereals have five spooky mascots touting five separate brands, though two are doubtlessly obscure. Of the three more widely known, it is Count Chocula who leads the pack. No doubt Saturday morning cartoon fans remember him and comrade Franken Berry endlessly debating whose product tastes best; said debates never saw conclusion. However, since these skittish monsters were invariably scared off themselves by something otherwise non-threatening — once, for instance, an upwardly collapsing umbrella. Boo Berry seems the bravest of the trio, sometimes himself a catalyst for the other monsters’ fright. Cereal lovers tend to have the opposite reaction when happening upon any of the three at the grocery store since their availability is now limited to the Halloween season, their monstrous faces therefore a very welcome sight. He is the third most popular cereal mascot.
Snap, Crackle, & Pop
Snap came first — appearing on the box in 1933 — which seems logical since he is a chef. Brothers Crackle and Pop joined him almost a decade later, forming an enduring and clamorous triumvirate. There’s science behind why this cereal makes its signature sound once bathed in milk, but we’ll leave that lesson to Alton Brown. Instead we’ll honor these three friendly gnomes who, unlike most of their counterparts, don’t find much trouble whatsoever while flaunting their cereal, just satisfied youngsters. These are the oldest cartoon characters of any Kellogg’s brand. And when their handiwork gets baked with regular-sized marshmallows, it’s time to make noise of our own. Together they are the second most -pop- ular of the cereal mascots.
Tony The Tiger
Tigers are not indigenous to the U.S., but there is something nonetheless nationalistic about Tony. He’s not flashy, his only clothing is a red bandanna, yet his bold orange and black stripes would make heads turn alongside even the most exclusive fashion runways. He’s a family man and has brought his brood into the cereal business as mascots themselves. Heck, son Tony Jr. is now the face of Frosted Rice, whatever that is. But children remember Tony most as a mentor, watching him give their peers — aided by a bowl of Frosted Flakes — the confidence, encouragement and nourishment needed to achieve their goals. We don’t require his lofty baritone to declare Tony the Tiger the greatest cereal mascot of all time. And we’ll use his most favored adjective meant to describe his beloved Frosted Flakes in description of him instead. Tony the Tiger is truly Gr-r-reat!