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In the NES instruction booklet of Super Mario Bros., the Mushroom King is briefly mentioned in passing.[1] With few exceptions such as Super Mario Bros. Deluxe,[2] this is generally not included in subsequent releases.  This is likely because the Japanese manual does not mention him.[3]

In the Nintendo Comics System, the Mushroom King is the de jure leader of the Mushroom Kingdom.  However, he is depicted as scatterbrained and dimwitted, so his responsible daughter often performs his royal duties as de facto ruler in his stead.  Wooster, one of his subjects, is occasionally at odds with him due to his intelligence. 

Based on his role, it is likely that he was based off the kings from Super Mario Bros. 3 as he plays a similar role in the comic strips (having a magic wand that is often taken by Bowser's forces and being transformed into various animals).  One story also implied that he is frequently kidnapped by Wart. 

^"The only one who can undo the magic spell on the Mushroom People and return them to their normal selves is the Princess Toadstool, the daughter of the Mushroom King." -  Super Mario Bros. English instruction booklet, page 2. 

^"It is said that only the daughter of the Mushroom King, Princess Toadstool, can break the evil spell and return the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom to their normal selves." -  Super Mario Bros. Deluxe English instruction booklet, page 2. 

^Legends of Localization comparing the Japanese and North American storylines of Super Mario Bros. (Retrieved April 30, 2014)