Crispy Critters (1962)

The original Crispy Critters cereal featured Linus the Lionhearted. He's faded from pop culture over the years. A shame too, because he was a great mascot -- even if the cereal he represented was kinda boring and bland.
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[@Lisargarza]

Crispy Critters was my FAVORITE cereal growing up, like 1964-69ish. Thanks for posting!

[@taratags4499]

Ha! I found one of the Crispy Critters Little Golden books at Goodwill! Couldn’t resist! I would love a return of this cereal. It stayed crispy through the whole bowl!

[@mrmittens3503]

Just put animal crackers in a bowl with milk

[@mrmjb1960]

Yes,there was also a TV Cartoon series,made by CBS,and was shown on Saturdays!

[@kentduryea5072]

Oh how I wish you could find that Crispy Critters commercial jingle made for pink elephants. 🎶 They put in, pink elephants Pink pink elephants Watch the pink elephants Watch the pink elephants Get'em at your grocers And put'em on your spoon Get the fun of pink elephants A real real soon 🎶

[@joyjadajsonos5657]

Crispy Critters was my favorite cereal in the 80's. I loved when Crispy would say Ah Cha cha cha! Had all 3 of the Little Golden Books that came from the cereal too.

[@eastcoastandloveit3857]

Anyone remember cruncharoos? I loved it as a kid .

[@DavidSmith-rc7hs]

Wow just found this and it's great, will keep watching.....keep up good work.

[@Awhless]

Almost at 5k :) keep it up and wish i was alive to try the original crispy critters

[@CerealTimeTV]

Oh snap, I didn't even notice. Hope that milestone comes before January 1st. ;)

[@spoon8142]

I was a super huge fan of crispy critters, I remember conversations at school where I was called names for " how gross it was" but it was one of my favorites 😊 miss it. Liked crispix and fruit n fibre too( the originals)

[@vickster1958]

I ate Crispy Critters and remember that song. I was born in '58.

[@RancidGravy]

We had that book :3

[@timbradfield788]

The Beverly Hillbillies TV show came out in 1962 and was a very popular show. Back then there were only 3 major networks, ABC, CBS, NBC, there would be 3 black and white channels. They were always calling animals critters on the show. Elly May Clampett had a lot of critter friends. So Cispy Critters cereal was around at same time the Beverly Hillbillies was very popular. I guess critter is hillbilly for creature.

[@jairovera8065]

Gabe:Man I really wanted that golden book! Me:Yeah it probably tasted way better than the actual cereal

[@Tornado1994]

It DID. I had the Book until High School.

[@thecoolguynamedal]

In nyc the nyfd refers to crispy critters as a body found in a burnt building

[@stevensamiel3172]

I love cereals

[@5JLazerManYT]

If only crispy critters can come back with Linus

[@leftylou6070]

Although I could watch the Crispy Critters commercial on TV, there was no chance in Hell my Maw would buy the cereal. She'd just say "Eat your grits now honey". So, I'm in my 70's now, and what do I eat for breakfast? Grits. (sure would have liked an orange moose for breakfast)

[@MultimediaJay]

I'm thinking generational thing with Crispy Critters where the kids it was marketed to were too young to have seen the previous iteration. :-D

[@CerealTimeTV]

Totally. I had no idea about the original cereal when I saw the ads in 1987.

[@joeblevins1061]

I never had the cereal, but the term "crispy critters" must have had a second life as an expression meaning something that's burnt up badly. There's a "Weird Al" Yankovic song called "Happy Birthday" in which he sings, "We'll all be crispy critters after World War Three!" And there's an episode of "Beavis & Butthead" called "Butt Flambe" in which a receptionist in the hospital emergency room calls Beavis a crispy critter after he has an embarrassing accident with fireworks.

[@CerealTimeTV]

It's Military slang for burnt corpses, but I'm not sure when that entered into their lexicon. I've read somewhere that it originated in Army slang in the 60s. I could probably do more research, but... I'm lazy. ;)

[@mrmjb1960]

Linus was voiced by Sheldon Leonard,others were voiced by Carl Reiner and Ruth Buzzi.

[@wildbilltexas]

I have a clean copy of the Linus the Lionhearted LP. It's a very silly album but it features the original cartoon cast. I dont know why Linus was retired and Sugar Bear lived on. I saw him as a cross between Tony The Tiger and Snaggletooth.

[@JordanBartholme]

@wildbilltexas if you have it, and you are going to mention having it, then the code of the internet says you have to share it..... LINK PLEASE =D

[@NathanSpies]

Maybe Linus became mayor lionheart in Zootopia

[@williamgomez8962]

1962-1988 of Crispy Critters

[@cineplexuk-fabian7976]

The 1960s Box Looks Like a Book Dear Zoo

[@Charlie-uf8dj]

I remember having the book

[@Tornado1994]

Me too!

[@elektrykalbanana]

The jingle came from the Nutcracker Suite!

[@ambicsantos]

You forgot to mention Honey Nut Cheerios Buzz bee in the Macy’s thanksgiving parade at the Honey Nut Cheerios video

[@marv685]

just to tell you the linus float was also in 1970-1983 and also returned for 1 year only in 1991

[@admcgregor2925]

an elephant , a zebra, a gazzele

[@timothyj.bowlby5524]

Reminds me of the old joke that went like... Q.: What runs out of forest fires? A.: Crispy Critters. ... just sayin', is all.

[@supermatthieubrothers1046]

The one and only cereal that comes in the shapes of animals.

[@sheepwolf2004]

the cereal piece at 3:00 looks like a goat

[@5JLazerManYT]

sheepwolf2004 it does!

[@NathanSpies]

sheepwolf2004 more like a ram/ or antelope

[@Wildman-lc3ur]

List of animals 1camal 2 elephant/rhino 3lion 4 rabbit/ibex/antelope

[@emmaelson6770]

I wish they kept these around and discontinued Kix

[@Zyztem300]

What General Mills cereal that you haven't reviewed yet

[@seanstark4312]

I wonder where the puppets from the old commercials are today

[@Angelmusicmagic]

I vaguely remember eating this before in the late 1980s though it was after 1987 ....I liked it which makes since because I also liked Alpha bits and Kixs and the fruit flavored buddy buddies(which are all mild cereal tastes) .They should bring it back(maybe with a different name like creature crunch or something more tasty sounding than crispy critters and make it wheat free this time around put rice instead) people are about lower sugar even more these days than in the '80s it looks interesting being reminiscent of animal crackers. another nice video Gabe keep the videos coming. Are going to make a video for the new version of Lucky charms that has added different colored marshmallows in it or the cinnamon frosted flakes? also is there a company you buy more cereals from now and if so is it different from the ones you bought as a kid(sorry for all of the questions)

[@CerealTimeTV]

I love the questions! I got the new Lucky Charms, but I don't think it warrants a new video. Maybe I'll find a way to combine it with something else down the road. I LOVE the new Cinnamon Frosted Flakes, but not sure I'll get to it before the 1st of the year. We'll see... I feel like these days I buy a variety from all different brands. There's not one that sticks out. Though I do love General Mills - maybe it's just because they were nice enough to let me tour their archives. :)

[@Tornado1994]

‘87. I had a box in late ‘87. I’m still seeing a Doctor about it. It tasted Horriid.

[@Wildman-lc3ur]

Crispy voice cracks me up

[@Serenadesong]

He's doing Jimmy Durante.

[@houseofdracula]

I never ate this cereal but just looking at it, I'm willing to bet that it tasted like Alpha Bits.

[@CerealTimeTV]

Pretty much. Just as boring.

[@Tornado1994]

Alpha Bits is Sweet and Simplistic. Crispy Critters 1987 was the exact opposite.

[@owlfan2007]

That Moose In That Commercial Looks Like Bullwinkle.

[@tamerasinclair7501]

I remember when it was reintroduced in the 80’s and there was controversy. How I remember it was that parents didn’t think it appropriate because at that time first responders let it be known that a crispy critter was a euphemism for a burn victim that added to the fact that the advertisement song went something like “ crispy critters the good wholesome crunch…they’re so fun to munch” mixed with the high price and lack of taste just kinda killed the comeback.

[@mibikibi]

Interesting, as the term "crispy critter" originated with the cereal, not the other way around.

[@Zyztem300]

Gabe, do you have any General Mills cereal to review for next Monday

[@CerealTimeTV]

Yup. :)

[@isjackdull4349]

Ya know what happened? Tony and Linus had a falling out and Tony, being the gangster he is put a hit out on him. Tony the Tiger made it clear that there wasn't room for more than one cat in this town...

[@oneeyesmiley55]

The 80s mascot and his ads creeped me out back in the day, Claymation uncanny valley...

[@CerealTimeTV]

Haha! He was awfully strange looking.

[@Tornado1994]

@@CerealTimeTV The '87 version of Crispy Critters was terrible and foul tasting.

[@supermatthieubrothers1046]

2:53 that looks like an elephant.

[@rowdyairplane92]

The One At 3:00 Looks Like a Goat.

[@mrmjb1960]

Crispy was,indeed,voiced by Durante...they'd pulled the TV Show because Cartoons wasn't supposed to have been based on Cereals or other products,as censors banned such things for TV!

[@Tornado1994]

Durante died in 1980. Crispy was voiced Maurice LaMarche. Post also was mocking Kellogg’s because Durante himself used to be the pitchman for Corn Flakes back in the 50s and 60s.

[@nebraskahusker247]

I do remember that cereal making an appearance at our house once but no one liked it. I have to ask, where did you get that spectacular cereal bowl that looks like splashing milk? Amazon? I've got to have one of those.

[@CerealTimeTV]

www.amazon.com/Fred-Friends-SPILT-Splash-Cereal/dp/B0024FA2OI

[@nebraskahusker247]

Cereal Time TV......thank you for the link.

[@redefv]

Rhino and impala

[@RobertJRoman]

Other than Sugar Bear, and the licenced Fred & Barney, does Post use ANY mascots to promote their cereals any more?

[@CerealTimeTV]

Nope. I guess in this new age where they don't really have commercials, they figure there is no point in having beloved mascots. Kinda sad. That era is over. :(

[@RobertJRoman]

@@CerealTimeTV It is sad. I'm old enough to barely remember the Linus the Lionhearted show, before the FCC killed it. BTW, I would love to see an episode on your channel on Post Toasties, including a discussion of Rory Raccoon.

[@DakkaSkintabII]

The character was called "The Racist Sohi"? I want some of that cereal!

[@GG-mb9bk]

can you make a video about puffa puffa rice cereal

[@CerealTimeTV]

Ooh, that's a good idea. I'll put that one on my (growing) to-do list!

[@stephensczurek6286]

I remember Crispy Critters cereal, and Linus. I also remember the Saturday TV show. I don't think that So-Hi was necessarily racist; that character certainly wasn't meant to be malicious. I also remember the pink elephants and the orange moose. I don't think there ever were grape apes in Crispy Critters. Grape Ape was a cartoon character in another series that eventually got its own show. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Grape_Ape_Show

[@alanstrong3295]

Crispy Critters were good.

[@Tornado1994]

The 1987 tasted like Sawdust.

[@NathanSpies]

Basically animal crackers the cereal!

[@DavidSmith-rc7hs]

Here is yet more info on crispy critters, during the Vietnam war,. Dead enemy soldiers who were burned up by napalm were refered to as crispy critters....ta daaaa. Yes it's true. I know that won't go in this ad, but it is true.

[@marcomundo5333]

Do pop tart crunch love you munch

[@soundwave00]

Indubitably …

[@teletubetodd]

"Indubitably delicious" sounds like a rip-off of Peter Paul's "Indescribably delicious" and Lucky Charms' "Magically delicious," and Gargle from Freakies cereal said "Indubitably" in one commercial. So no wonder the revamped Crispy Critters didn't catch on. It was totally unoriginal.

[@theonlyjamiebourgeois9703]

I ended up here because I found a copy of that little golden book in a free pile. When you show the back of the box at the very end, it's the book on the right with the blue and tan. You can have my copy hahaha. Suffice to say it's a pretty unexceptional example of crass product promotion through painfully bland and bad writing. The book matches the cereal well.

[@possumaintdead]

Hmm. You don't know your animals very well! The first unidentified was an elephant. The last was a goat.