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Otto Soglow Cartoons

An inventory of his cartoons at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Soglow, Otto, 1900-1975
Title: Otto Soglow Cartoons
Inclusive Dates: 1945-1966
Quantity: 3 linear ft.
Abstract: Original cartoons from the comic strip The Little King and original magazine cartoon panels.
Language: English
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Although best known for creating the rotund cartoon character Little King, Otto Soglow was never happy as a cartoonist. Born in Yorkville, New York to a house painter and a cook, he dropped out of high school to pursue his major ambition of acting on Broadway and in Hollywood.

He supported himself through a variety of jobs from errand boy and dishwasher to commercial illustrator. Once he entered the art field, employment was more certain and Soglow expanded his repertoire to magazine illustration. The Little King, a character the artist always claimed "just happened," made a brief appearance in the New Yorker, then became a regular feature and was eventually syndicated by King Features in close to 100 newspapers in the United States and abroad.

Soglow was an organizer of the National Cartoonists Society, served as its president, and received the Society's Founder's Medal in 1966.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Otto Soglow Cartoons collection contains 15 original cartoons from the newspaper comic strip The Little King (1954-1962) and 13 original magazine cartoon panels (most were published in The New Yorker ) (1945-1966).

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Arrangement of the Collection

Cartoons are arranged by type in chronological order.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Clippings of Ambassador and Little King are located in the Vernon Greene Papers.

Special Collections Research Center has collections of more than 150 cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Soglow, Otto, 1900-1975.

Corporate Bodies

King Features Syndicate.

Associated Titles

Little king (comic strip)
New Yorker (New York, N.Y. : 1925)

Subjects

American wit and humor, Pictorial.
Caricatures and cartoons -- United States.
Cartoonists -- United States.
Comic books, strips, etc. -- United States.

Genres and Forms

Cartoons (humorous images)

Occupations

Cartoonists.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Otto Soglow Cartoons
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: [Summit record]
Date: 1994-02-03
Revision history: 12 Mar 2007 - converted to EAD (MRC); 28 Jan 2009 - revised (MD); 29 Apr 2011 - revised (AM); 3 Jul 2012 - added undated item (MRC)

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Inventory

The Little King cartoons (15 items)
(pen and ink on illustration board, 15 ½ x 23 in.)
Oversize 1 1954
30 May
Oversize 1 1955
17 April ; 1 May; 4 Sep; 27 Nov
Oversize 1 1956
12 Feb; 19 Feb; 17 Jun; 23 Sep; 30 Sep
Oversize 1 1962
22 Apr; 22 Jul; 2 Sep; 16 Sep; 21 Oct
Oversize 1 Undated
Magazine cartoons (13 items)
(pen and ink on illustration board, dimensions vary 11 ½ x 13 in. to 13 ½ x 17 in.)
Box 1 01/06/1945 Untitled [martini maker pouring olives]
(The New Yorker property stamp on back)
Box 1 07/20/1958 "My Craziest Dreams Come True" [pull-out bed of nails]
(American Weekly property stamp on back)
Box 1 05/23/1959 Untitled [traffic cop with three faces]
(published in The New Yorker 5/23/1959)
Box 1 09/05/1959 "God Bless Our Home"
(published in The New Yorker 9/05/1959)
Box 1 12/05/1959 "Earn Up to $200,000 a Night" [boxing gloves]
(published in The New Yorker 12/05/1959)
Box 1 12/12/1959 Untitled [dog sled running in circle]
(published in The New Yorker 12/12/1959)
Box 1 03/04/1961 Untitled [man and woman on desert island, "who, me?"]
(published in The New Yorker 3/04/1961)
Box 1 04/01/1961 "There's Something Reminiscent About That Woman" [Abe Lincoln]
(published in The New Yorker 4/01/1961)
Box 1 09/08/1962 "Goodbye, Lover!" [Lover's Leap]
(published in The New Yorker 9/08/1962)
Box 1 11/14/1964 Untitled [escalators]
(published in The New Yorker 11/14/1964)
Box 1 01/02/1965 Untitled [Junior Foods]
(published in The New Yorker 1/02/1965)
Box 1 02/26/1966 Untitled [jack-in-the-box mother]
(published in The New Yorker 2/26/1966)
Box 1 undated "Pardon friend - got a minute?" [man in sombrero]
("Jan 20" handwritten in pencil on back, year unknown)

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