15 Cereal Mascots That Disappeared Without a Trace
These 15 cereal mascots were once breakfast table stars but have since vanished, leaving only nostalgia and a few vintage cereal boxes behind.
- Sophia Zapanta
- 6 min read
Cereal mascots used to be a big part of childhood, making breakfast more fun with their quirky personalities and catchy taglines. However, changing marketing trends, health concerns, and brand overhauls led to many of them disappearing without a trace. Let’s take a look at 15 beloved (and sometimes bizarre) cereal mascots that are now lost to history.
1. Fruit Brute (General Mills)
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This werewolf mascot howled onto the cereal scene in 1974 as part of General Mills’ monster cereal lineup. The cereal, a fruit-flavored mix with marshmallows, never reached the popularity of Count Chocula or Boo Berry. By 1982, Fruit Brute was discontinued, though it made a brief comeback in 2013.
2. Yummy Mummy (General Mills)
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Another lost monster cereal, Yummy Mummy, arrived in the late ‘80s with a similar fruity marshmallow mix. With its brightly colored bandages and groovy lingo, it tried to stand out but never gained a strong following. Yummy Mummy disappeared in 1992 but returned for a limited run alongside Fruit Brute in 2013. Sadly, both were soon buried again in the cereal graveyard.
3. King Vitaman (Quaker Oats)
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Dressed like a medieval king with a crown and royal robes, King Vitaman was supposed to excite kids about a “healthier” cereal. It ruled the breakfast aisle from the late ‘60s until around 2019, when Quaker quietly discontinued the brand. Despite several redesigns and different actors portraying it, the King never quite reached Lucky Charms-level fame. Now, it’s just another forgotten ruler of the cereal kingdom.
4. Sir Grapefellow (General Mills)
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This WWI-style flying ace debuted in the 1970s with a grape-flavored cereal (which was as weird as it sounds). It had a rival, Baron Von Redberry that represented a competing berry-flavored version. Neither one lasted long, likely because grape-flavored cereal was a tough sell. If you ever find an old box, consider it a collector’s item.
5. Baron Von Redberry (General Mills)
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The German-themed counterpart to Sir Grapefellow, Baron Von Redberry, led its own squadron of berry-flavored cereal fans. Much like its rival, it failed to capture the hearts (or taste buds) of kids and was discontinued in the ‘70s. The cereal’s strange World War I theme didn’t help its chances. Today, both Baron Von Redberry and Sir Grapefellow are only remembered by hardcore cereal collectors.
6. The Freakies (Ralston)
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The Freakies were a group of odd-looking, colorful creatures introduced in the ‘70s. Each character had a unique personality, and their commercials were packed with trippy, psychedelic vibes. Despite their initial popularity, they were discontinued by the early ‘80s. A reboot attempt in the late ‘80s failed, and the Freakies faded into cereal obscurity.
7. Cornelius (Corny) the Rooster (Kellogg’s Corn Flakes)
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Cornelius Rooster, known as “Corny,” has been the face of Corn Flakes since the 1950s. While it hasn’t been fully retired, it has become less prominent in advertising over the years. Originally, Corny was a lively character meant to wake kids up for breakfast, but now it’s barely seen. Unlike other mascots on this list, Corny still technically exists—just in a much quieter role.
8. Wendell the Baker (Cinnamon Toast Crunch, General Mills)
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Wendell, the friendly old baker who represented Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the ‘80s and ‘90s, was the last of a trio of bakers originally used in ads. As marketing shifted to focus on the crazy, talking cereal squares, Wendell was quietly retired in the early 2000s. Fans still remember it fondly, and some even wish for its return. For now, it’s just baking in retirement.
9. O.J. Joe (O.J.’s Cereal, Kellogg’s)
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O.J. Joe was a cowboy mascot promoting an orange-flavored cereal in the 1980s. Despite the unique concept, kids weren’t thrilled about citrus-flavored milk, and the cereal quickly flopped. O.J. Joe rode off into the sunset, never to be seen again. It turns out that orange juice and cereal were never meant to be mixed.
10. Ice Cream Jones (Ice Cream Cones Cereal, General Mills)
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Ice Cream Jones rode onto TV screens in the 1980s, delivering a cereal shaped like tiny ice cream cones. Kids loved the concept, but the cereal didn’t last long, disappearing after a few years. Ice Cream Jones and its catchy jingle were forgotten soon after. It was just another casualty in the world of discontinued novelty cereals.
11. Newton the Owl (Rice Honeys, Nabisco)
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Newton the Owl was a bespectacled, scholarly bird who promoted Nabisco’s Rice Honeys cereal in the ‘50s and ‘60s. While it was a wise choice for branding, it wasn’t particularly memorable. As the cereal changed its formula and branding, Newton quietly flew away. Today, Newton is barely remembered outside of vintage cereal commercials.
12. Bigg Mixx (Kellogg’s)
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Bigg Mixx was one of the strangest cereal mascots ever—a mix of a rooster, moose, pig, and wolf. The cereal, released in 1990, was a chaotic blend of flakes, puffs, and granola, meant to be a “wild” breakfast option. The character and the cereal were weird, which didn’t last long. By the mid-’90s, Bigg Mixx and the bizarre breakfast blend had vanished.
13. Professor Weeto (Weeto’s, UK)
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This British cereal mascot was a quirky, mustachioed professor promoting Weetos, a chocolate-flavored wheat cereal. It had a goofy, over-the-top personality, but eventually, the brand decided to ditch it for a more modern marketing approach. Professor Weeto disappeared sometime in the 2000s, and today, only UK cereal fans from the ‘90s remember it. Its giant glasses and lab coat are missed.
14. Crunchy the Bear (Pre-Sugar Bear Era, Post)
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Before Sugar Bear became the laid-back mascot of Golden Crisp, Post Cereals experimented with a more generic bear character in the 1940s. There’s little documentation on this version, as Sugar Bear fully replaced it in the 1950s. Sugar Bear was much cooler, which likely sealed Crunchy’s fate. Today, it’s just a forgotten footnote in cereal mascot history.
15. So-Hi (Rice Krinkles, Post)
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So-Hi was a highly problematic, stereotypical Asian character used to market Rice Krinkles in the 1950s and ‘60s. As social awareness grew, the character was retired, and the cereal eventually disappeared altogether. It’s an example of how outdated and offensive marketing choices led to mascots being erased from history. Today, it’s rarely mentioned except in discussions about problematic advertising.