Fritos is the name of a brand of corn chips made by Frito-Lay. Elmer Doolin was so taken with the bag of corn chips served with his lunch in San Antonio, Texas that he paid $100 for the recipe ($1,580 when converted from 1932 dollars to 2010 dollars ^[1]). In 1932, he started the Frito Corporation. Original Fritos ingredients are limited to whole corn, corn oil, and salt.

From 1952 until 1967, the Frito Kid was the company's official mascot.^[2] The Frito Bandito was its mascot from 1967 until about 1971, and was discontinued due to complaints about the Bandito image. He was replaced by "the Muncha Bunch," perhaps to recall the name of "The Wild Bunch," a popular film of the time. The term also harkened back to the jingle used in Fritos commercials of the 1960s, "Muncha Buncha Fritos." In the mid-1970s, Fritos' mascot was a W. C. Fields caricature, W.C. Fritos. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Fritos used the commercial jingle, "Muncha buncha, muncha buncha, muncha buncha, muncha buncha, Fritos goes with lunch" (sung to the tune of "Aba Daba Honeymoon").^{[citation needed]}

Varieties[link]

• Original
• Barbecue
• Chili Cheese
• Flamin' Hot
• McGraw's Spicy Jalapeño (limited edition)
• Tangy Roasted Corn
• Sabrositas (lime & chile)
• Scoops (wider chips intended for dipping)
• Hoops (Go Snacks)
• Pinch of Salt
• Mexican Chicken
• Ranch Style
• Chutney (in South Africa)

Additionally, a sub-brand called Twists are produced in three flavors:

• Tex-Mex
• Honey Barbecue
• Tapatio

Discontinued variations:

• King Size
• Fritos Lite
• Fritos Tabasco
• Fritos Racers, the Fritos material formed into a more crunchy race car shape were sold for a short while before the introduction of Twists.
• Nacho Cheese (late 1980s-early 1990s)
• Ranch (late 1980s-early 1990s)
• Wild N' Mild Ranch
• Cheddar Ranch Twists (late 1990s-early 2000s)
• Texas Grill, a thicker version of the original with "grill strips" on the chips. The honey barbecue flavor transitioned over to the twists.

See also[link]

• Frito pie
• Frito Bandito

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Fritos page
• The Birth of the Frito: NPR

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007)

The Frito Bandito was the cartoon mascot for Fritos corn chips from 1967 to 1971. The Bandito was created by the Foote, Cone & Belding Agency, and animated by Tex Avery. The character was voiced by Mel Blanc, who used an exaggerated Mexican accent not unlike another character of his, Speedy Gonzales. The Frito Bandito spoke broken English and robbed people of their Frito corn chips, a reference to the “Mexican bandit” stereotype in western movies. (See, for example, Stinking badges and Treasure of the Sierra Madre.) He also complained that he was being pursued by the “Frito Bureau of Investigation”.

Pressure from the National Mexican-American Anti-Defamation Committee and others prompted an update to the character; his gold tooth and stubble were eliminated and his hair combed. The character was completely retired in 1971.^[1] He was initially replaced by the Muncha Bunch, a group of cowboys, which then were replaced by W.C. Fritos, modeled after comedian W.C. Fields.^[2]

The Frito Bandito campaign included a song sung to the tune of the well-known traditional Mexican song "Cielito Lindo":

Ay, ay, ay, ay! oh, I am dee Frito Bandito. I like Frito's Corn Chips. I love them, I do. I want Frito's corn chips. I'll take them, from you.

Later ads used an alternate verse:

Ay, ay, ay, ay, oh, I am the Frito Bandito. Give me Frito Corn chips and I'll be your friend. The Frito Bandito you must not offend.

See also[link]

• Chester Cheetah

References[link]

External links[link]

• TV Acres info about Frito Bandito
• "There May Be a Frito Bandito in Your House"
• POV Online: "News from Me" (column by Mark Evanier), January 29, 2008