Soglow, Otto, 1900-1975

Cartoonist; New York, N.Y.

From the description of Otto Soglow papers, [undated]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80153737

American cartoonist and illustrator.

From the description of Otto Soglow collection, 1937-1975. (Boston University). WorldCat record id: 70969777

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.

From the guide to the Otto Soglow Cartoons, 1945-1966, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)