Mustaches for men are incredibly hard to pull off. For every one guy who can embrace his inner Nick Offerman and Tom Selleck and look good with a ‘stache, there are twenty other dudes who look like creepy, “Free Candy” van drivers. Interestingly, however, cartoon characters don’t seem to have this problem. In fact, most cartoon characters that have mustaches have some pretty sweet ones, no matter how ridiculous or over-the-top they really are. At the end of the day, these characters’ mustaches only enhance their already cartoonish personalities rather detracting or distracting from them.Here are the 10 best cartoon mustaches of all-time (in no particular order).
Mario & Luigi (All of the Mario and Luigi video games)
These classic Nintendo brothers had to make the list, even if as video game characters, they’re not technically speaking “cartoons.” Both Mario and Luigi, who are originally Italian plumbers despite the fact that they both end up saving the world (or in Mario’s case, the galaxy) on consistent basis, are so iconic and so important to pop culture, and a lot of that has to do with their awesome mustaches, which are bushy enough without being overpowering – they would definitely make Ron Swanson proud.
The Lorax (The Lorax)
What makes the Lorax so interesting (aside from the fact that he’s a Dr. Seuss character because that always guarantees that you’ll be interesting in some wacky way) is the size of his mustache compared to the rest of his body. The Lorax’s ‘stache is so thick and bushy – it’s as if someone had transplanted a walrus’s mustache onto a beaver or a groundhog. The mustache doesn’t exactly fit with the the rest of his face, but it’s still darn impressive.
Randy Marsh (South Park)
Randy Marsh’s mustache is pretty average. There’s nothing too special about it. It’s not too thick or too thin. It’s not cut or trimmed in any awkward design. Ultimately, there’s nothing too special-looking about it. However, the reason why he makes this list is because even though it’s nothing too out of the ordinary, Randy’s mustache simply adds to the comedy that he brings to South Park. He almost always gets the best dialogue or storyline in whichever episode he’s in, but Randy and his ridiculous behavior would not nearly make us laugh as hard if he didn’t have the ‘stache. It just perfectly suits him.
Ned Flanders (The Simpsons)
Ned Flanders’ mustache makes this list because, similar to Randy, it just fits his character so well. The bushy ‘stache, along with the glasses, sweaters, and his over-the-top religious beliefs make Ned Flanders into a type of cartoon, Christian version of Mr. Rogers. Even the way he says, “Hidey ho, neighbor!” just works together with his nerdy, repressed personality – traits that he passes down to his kids, which makes me wonder: will they end up with mustaches like his somewhere down the line, too?
Papa Smurf (The Smurfs)
Okay, while Papa Smurf doesn’t technically have a mustache (it’s more of a beard), I had to put him on this list for two reasons. Reason #1: He’s the only Smurf with any type of facial hair, and I think that’s just hilarious and needs to be talked about. Reason #2: He’s one of the wisest cartoon characters ever. Papa Smurf’s fluffy white facial hair, along with his red pants and hat, isn’t just supposed to make him look like Santa. No, what makes Papa Smurf’s facial hair so great is that it’s a sign of wisdom to all the other Smurfs. It shows that Papa Smurf has lived, he’s seen some stuff, and so if you need any help or advice, he’s the guy to go to first for help.
Captain Hook (Peter Pan)
Snorry to any women (Bueller? Bueller?) reading this article, but I’m not talking about Once Upon a Time’s Captain Hook, who I’m pretty sure 99% of the female population is in love with. No, I’m talking about the cartoon version of Captain Hook from the 1953 Peter Pan film. The villain wants to kill Peter Pan and all of the Lost Boys. The villain who’s absolutely terrified of crocodiles. The villain’s whose mustache is literally so thin that it had to be drawn in by pencil at the very last second (even though drawing with a pencil was a big part of how they did animation back in the day). What I like so much about Hook’s mustache is that almost mimics his hook – it’s sharp, thin, and pointy and shows, from a character standpoint, how much that hook he has for a hand really defines him.
Mr. Potato Head (Toy Story)
Toy Story (and its two sequels) have defined my age group. We were three or four when the first film came out, and by the time Toy Story 3 hit theaters, we were all 18 and about to head off to college. Anytime I watch any of the three Toy Story films I feel like a kid again, but more importantly, I laugh, smile, and cheer for the amazing characters that Pixar has created. Easily one of the best characters in the Toy Story series is Mr. Potato Head and part of what makes him so great is his mustache. The look of his ‘stache just gives him that strict, prickly demeanor that he always has, and plus, what’s make more funny than hearing him say that he’s got to shave, only to then watch him just pluck his mustache right off. Mr. Potato is pretty much perfect, and so is his mustache. No discussion needed.
Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Variety
Cosmo Spacely (The Jetsons)
The Jetsons was one of my favorite cartoons to watch when I was growing up. I thought it was hilarious (probably funnier than The Flintstones), and I just loved the idea of this future that was decades upon decades away from happening. It was like a dream world. Something that is more nightmarish rather dream-like in the show, however, at least for George Jetson, is his boss, Cosmo Spacely, who’s essentially a business tyrant with a “little man” complex and a very Hitler-esque mustache. To this day, I still don’t know what the heck the creators of The Jetsons were thinking back when they made the show in the early sixties. Maybe they were attempting pay homage to Charlie Chaplin?
Yosemite Sam
Yosemite Sam’s mustache is the clear winner on this list of ten. I mean, just look at it. It literally takes up the dude’s entire face and even goes into his eyebrows. What I like so much about Yosemite’s Sam’s mustache (and what I’ve been saying about pretty much everyone’s facial hair that’s been on this list) is that it just totally fits his character. Sam’s a gun-slinging cowboy – an outlaw who can barely speak proper English. That red mustache, the hat he wears, and the pistols he carries makes it seem like he’s starring in his own cartoon version of Deadwood, and that’s just pretty much perfect in my eyes.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for The Chuck Jones Experience
Boris Badenov (Rocky and Bullwinkle)
Oh, Boris. I don’t even know where to begin to describe your mustache, if we can even call it that. It looks more like Natalie just scribbled on his face a little bit with a Sharpie. In all seriousness, though, Boris makes this list, because (yet again), his facial really tells something about his personality. The trimmed, short bits of facial hair don’t attract too much attention (although he’s evil-looking eye brows might), which is important because he’s a spy for Pottsylvania (but let’s just call it Russia, because, come on, Boris is totally Russian). To put it simply: Boris’s mustache (or lack of one) perfectly depicts his sinister but secretive persona
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