5 Figures Who Popularized The Plumber Profession

So maybe being a plumber isn't the most glamorous job on paper, but there are plenty of famous real life and fictional characters that have put the profession in the mainstream. You won't see many of them unclogging toilets or mending pipes on the television, but with the millions of dollars some of their names have generated, they don't need to.

Mario and Luigi
Inarguably, these are the two most famous superhero plumber brothers in history. Mario made his first appearance in 1981 in a videogame called Donkey Kong, and Luigi followed later in their 1983 self-titled debut. While they didn't do much plumbing, the level design included plenty of pipes that the characters could disappear into, transporting them to new areas of the game. Mario mania still persists to this day, and the brothers have appeared in a major motion picture, live-action and cartoon television programs, as well as several more editions of the game. They may not have inspired a generation to pick up a wrench, but they certainly revolutionized the video game industry.

Gonzo
The designated "weirdo" of the Muppet franchise, Gonzo is depicted as a plumber with his own business in The Muppet Movie. The story goes that along with his girlfriend (a chicken named Camilla), he worked as a traveling plumber. That is until fellow Muppets Kermit and Fozzie crashed into his van. Apparently the weirdo wasn't that committed to his profession because he decided to quit and chase his dreams of hitting it big in Hollywood.

Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher
One of the few famous non-fiction professionals, Samuel is better known as "Joe the Plumber." He became a well-know figure when he questioned then presidential candidate Barack Obama on his new tax plans for small businesses. Since his famous representation of the average American, he has signed up with a PR agency and has appeared in several television commercials. He has also worked as a motivational speaker and authored a book. In the future, he states political ambitions as well as the possibility of a record deal. No word of fixing toilets anymore, however.

White House Plumbers
Okay, maybe these guys don't count, as they never fixed a pipe at least literally. This was a special investigations group set up to stop the leak of information to the media during the Watergate scandal of 1971. They burglarized psychiatrist's Lewis J. Fielding's office in order to find confidential documents. Some conspiracy theorists believe they were involved in other illegal government activities as well, but little hard evidence has proven anything.

Thomas Crapper
There is no name more famous in the industry than that of Thomas Crapper. The man is a legend, but mostly because of the myths. He did not invent the first modern flush toilet, as is largely believed, but he did work in plumbing and invented many patents. In fact, historians now believe that his surname did not lead to the word's current usage, but it is all rather just an incredible coincidence. One that it is probably fortunate he is not around to hear about.