I always thought the shape was for texture rather than representation.
There was an ongoing marketing popularity battle (fun fact: Commercials by Jay Ward) between Quisp and Quake, and Quake was discontinued before 1970 for low sales.
Let us not speak of Orange Quangaroos.
I used to work at Quaker Oats. AFAIK, the cereal bits weren’t meant to look like anything in particular (unlike, say, Quisp, which was meant to look like little flying saucers), but the internal term we used to describe the shape of Cap’n Crunch was “pillow.”
Also, the term we had for this effect was “roof shred.” 
Oh, I like that; that’s going into rotation for next time I burn that area with pizza. 
Quake started out as a big, beefy miner, because the marketing department at Quaker Oats discerned a strong yearning in the nation’s children to be big, beefy miners.
Once that fizzled, they tried to change Quake into a cowboy, but it fooled NONE OF US.
I don’t think they were ever meant to represent anything but they are really just blunt knives that will destroy your mouth if you eat a bunch of them plain. My daughter loves Cap’n Crunch and usually only eats a single serving. One morning she was hungry and ate half a box dry and then complained that her mouth hurt. Well no shit, any self-respecting 80’s child knows what causes that but we did it anyway. Kids these days.
I don’t have any idea what y’all are talking about. I’ve eaten Cap’n Crunch plain (without milk) all my life, and have never had problems with the room of my mouth. Wussies. 
You didn’t eat enough. It will fuck you up.
You know, you might be on to something there.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the famous sit-down strike at Notre Dame University in 1984 when the food service company running the dining halls decided to remove Cap’n Crunch. At Univ. of Rochester, a similar protest broke out when the vendor for the dining halls (Marriott, if I’m not mistaken) decided to stop supplying cereal during dinners (this was about 1980). College students grok Cap’n Crunch.
And the first thing I thought of was this song.
Captain Crunch, Captan Crunch
He’s inviting you to munch
Captain Crunch, Captain Crunch
Munch a bunch a munch a munch
Is this you?
Wasn’t Quisp and Quake the exact same thing as Cap’n Crunch – just shaped differently?
I know I do!
This article is fascinating, especially the descriptions of the 25 or so variants and special editions released over the years. And the fact that someone tried to sue them when she found out that crunchberries weren’t real fruit.
One of the above mentioned variants was called Soft Crunch which was - to quote the article - “designed to prevent cuts in the roof of consumers mouth’s”
I currently have nine varieties in my kitchen, including my special Triple Crunch Blend (equal amounts of Peanut Butter Crunch, Cinnamon Roll Crunch and Caramel Popcorn Crunch).
I prefer the varieties with round pieces, and I rarely eat original or Crunchberries, which do have a nasty effect on my mouth.
Pieces of gold?
You meant shellac, didn’t you? 
They had a Vanilla Crunch whose mascot was a whale wearing more makeup than an entire Pride parade.
