Buzz
Corporate mascots, mythical folklore personas, and animated icons often evoke a peculiar sense of connection. You grow familiar with them, develop an attachment, and, if you have excessive time and an overactive nostalgia-driven imagination, an intense urge to craft fan fiction about them. This list highlights fictional characters many insist are real. Spoiler—they’re not…probably.
10. Mavis Beacon
Many readers might think, 'Obviously, she’s a mascot—who believed she was real? Everyone knows Betty Crocker isn’t real, right?' Meanwhile, others are likely exclaiming, 'Whaaaat?! Noooooo!'
Mavis Beacon, the face of a well-known typing software, is another corporate creation with a racially sensitive history (similar to 'Uncle Ben' and 'Aunt Jemima'). Modeled after a Haitian-American woman named Renée L’Espérance (discovered at a perfume counter in Saks, Fifth Avenue, New York), the mascot faced resistance from retailers. Since 1987, the software has taught countless students to type, much like how Professor Rosetta Stone guided me in learning Spanish…
9. N. Senada—The Bavarian Musical Prodigy
The avant-garde music group ‘The Residents’ remains shrouded in mystery. While there’s plenty of lore, theories, and recordings, none of it clarifies the most pressing question: 'Who are The Residents?' We know Hardy Fox, a Texan musician, was a founding member. Beyond that, details are scarce.
A key figure linked to the group is Bavarian composer and theorist N. Senada, creator of the ‘Theory of Obscurity’ and the ‘Theory of Phonetic Organization.’ Impressive, right? Yet, like much in ‘The Residents’ universe, this man—who should be a globally renowned composer with extensive biographies and documentaries—remains elusive. Some speculate N. Senada was actually Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart), given his residence on Ensenada Drive in California during the late 60s and the fact that The Residents’ early demo was sent to the same label executive who signed Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band.
8. Lupe Hernandez—Pioneer of Hand Sanitizer
The concept of ‘The Uncredited Inventor’ has become a modern legend. While some overlooked contributors to groundbreaking ideas exist (like Douglas Prasher’s gene sequencing work or Bret Weinstein’s research on lab mice telomeres), the trope of ‘The Uncredited Inventor’ has gained traction, partly fueled by Mytour’s influence. This phenomenon, now embedded in culture, is evident in the renewed fascination with Nikola Tesla’s work, thanks to YouTubers creating videos (often without permission) based on decade-old Mytour lists. A prime example is nurse Lupe Hernandez, the alleged inventor of alcohol-based hand gel, hailed as the ‘Saint of the Coronavirus Outbreak’ and ‘Savior of Mankind.’ However, evidence suggests this person likely never existed.
The tale originates from a Guardian article that, frankly, lacked substantial evidence, relying instead on exaggerated journalistic embellishments (we’re refraining from calling it 'fake news'!). The reality is unclear—no one knows who this individual (gender unspecified) was, nor how to validate the claims. It’s all quite chaotic. Nevertheless, social media activists have championed Hernandez’s recognition, urging schools to celebrate her as a symbol of innovation beyond the white male-dominated narrative. For a real-life example of a brilliant non-white woman, consider Chien-Shiung Wu, who contributed to the atomic bomb’s development and was unjustly denied a Nobel Prize.
7. Alexander ‘Sawney’ Bean—The Scottish Cannibal Patriarch
This 16th-century British legend tells of ‘Sawney’ Bean, a Scottish outlaw, and his inbred, cave-dwelling family of cannibals.
Bean and his wife resided in a remote Ayrshire cave. To sustain themselves, they ambushed, robbed, and murdered travelers, bringing their remains back for consumption. Over time, their family expanded through inbreeding, growing to 48 members. The clan’s rampant killings eventually drew the attention of King James I, who, with 400 soldiers, hunted and executed the cannibal family in a gruesome manner. Or so the story goes—there’s no concrete evidence beyond sensational anti-Scottish pamphlets. This chilling horror story has inspired numerous works, including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, and the anime series Attack on Titan.
6. Konstantinos Koukidis—Hero of Greek Independence
The realms of marketing, wartime propaganda, literature, and folklore rarely converge as seamlessly as in the tale of Greek hero Konstantinos Koukidis, a man who perished wrapped in his nation’s pride.
After the Nazis conquered Greece, they sought to symbolize their triumph by hoisting the swastika-adorned flag over Athens’ Acropolis, the architectural heart of Greek identity. Koukidis, the soldier tasked with guarding the flagpole, refused to desert his post. Instead, he removed the flag, wrapped it around himself, and leapt from the Acropolis to his heroic demise. While no evidence of this event or a soldier named Konstantinos Koukidis exists, the story served as a powerful morale booster for a nation suffering under German oppression.
5. Alan Smithee—The Phantom Director, 1968-2000
Few Hollywood directors boast a filmography as extensive as Alan Smithee’s. From notorious flops like Ghost Fever (1987), The Shrimp on the Barbie (1990), and The Birds II: Land’s End (1994) to countless TV shows, ads, and music videos, Smithee’s output is staggering. But who exactly is Alan Smithee? Or Alan Smithee Jr? Or Alan Von Smithee?
Alan Smithee is a pseudonym directors use when they disown a project, typically because it’s subpar. Ironically, the 1997 film An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood, Burn, a mockumentary starring Eric Idle, was so disastrous that its director, Arthur Hiller, opted to use the infamous Smithee name. The film earned three Golden Raspberry Awards in 2000, leading the Director’s Guild of America to retire the Smithee credit that same year.
4. Ragnar Lothbrok—The Legendary Viking Who Never Existed
Travis Fimmel’s captivating performance as Ragnar Lothbrok in the popular series Vikings has been widely praised. While the character is compelling, it’s important to remember that he is a work of fiction.
I may be disappointing countless Vikings enthusiasts, but the truth is, Ragnar Lothbrok likely never existed. His legendary children, however, were real, though they were probably fathered by different Norse warriors.
3. Everyone…on a Specific Website
Technology is reshaping the world. While neo-Luddites fear automation, AI advancements, and space tourism, many of us embrace this new era, eagerly anticipating a future where technology eradicates scarcity and hardship…once inventions like the Star Trek replicator become reality.
2. Ronald Opus—The Man Who Never Existed and His Mysterious Death
Buckle up for this tale. A medical examiner was assigned to perform an autopsy on Ronald Opus, who had left a suicide note indicating his intent to jump from his apartment building. However, the examiner discovered a gunshot wound to the head, which was the actual cause of death. Unbeknownst to Opus, a safety net had been installed below the 8th-floor windows, meaning his suicide attempt would have failed if not for the gunshot. Investigators traced the shot to a 9th-floor apartment, where an elderly couple admitted to firing a shotgun in anger on the day of Opus’ death. The husband had threatened his wife, and the shot accidentally killed Opus.
If you intend to kill someone but accidentally kill another, it’s still murder. The elderly man claimed he routinely threatened his wife with an unloaded shotgun during arguments, supported by his wife’s testimony. However, a witness revealed that the couple’s son had loaded the gun weeks earlier. The son, Ronald Opus, had a motive—his mother had cut off his financial support. He hoped his father would kill her during an argument. Overwhelmed by guilt, Opus jumped from the building, only to be struck by the bullet he had loaded into the shotgun. The verdict? Suicide. What a twist!
This case was first shared by Don Harper Mills at a 1987 banquet for the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, where he served as president. It sounds like a plot from Law & Order or CSI, and indeed, it inspired numerous storylines, including those shows and the 1999 film Magnolia (frequently praised on Mytour as one of the greatest films ever and featured on our leader’s list of Top 10 Favorite Films of JFrater).
1. Agnus McVee—Canada’s Infamous Serial Killer
A rural family lures unsuspecting guests to their inn, gains their trust, and then murders them. This is the tale of ‘The Bloody Benders.’ While similar, the story of Agnus McVee, her husband Jim, and brother-in-law Al differs in key ways—it’s set in Canada, not Kansas, lacks any hint of incest, and, most importantly, never actually occurred.
According to the legend, Agnus planned to sell a kidnapped 17-year-old girl to a local miner. Jim, her husband, tracked and killed the miner the next day, stealing his money. In a bizarre twist, Agnus poisoned Jim in retaliation (though the reason remains unclear). The girl, destined for slavery, escaped, exposing the scheme. Police raided the McVees’ hotel and discovered eight terrified young girls in the basement. Thankfully, this gripping tale is entirely fictional.
