Cartoon Monarch: Otto Soglow and the Little King

Otto Soglow (w & a & c)

A BIG BOOK FOR A LITTLE KING! A long-overdue examination of the unique pantomime cartoons of Otto Soglow, who entertained millions for more than fifty years and whose influence remains current in the works of Chris Ware, Daniel Clowes, Ivan Brunetti, and others. This compendium features hundreds of pages of Soglow’s most famous creation, The Little King–plus copious examples of his other work and a fascinating account by Jared Gardner of Soglow’s long career that ranged from the socialist magazines of the 1920s to his long association with The New Yorker, which continues to use Soglow’s art thirty-five years after his death.

Soglow began experimenting with eliminating lines that weren’t necessary while at The New Yorker, where he created The Little King in 1931. Lured by William Randolph Hearst, Soglow moved to the Sunday comic’s section with The Ambassador until his contract with The New Yorker ended in 1934. The Ambassador led the way–in more ways than one–for the King, who remained a Sunday funnies mainstay until Soglow’s death in 1975.

Much of the humor in The Little King is aimed at puncturing pomposity, and Soglow accomplishes it with drawings that are, as Brunetti points out, tightly composed, exquisitely timed, carefully structured pieces of machinery.

Otto Soglow’s process of streamlining is at the root of why his cartoons have a timeless sophistication and elegance, and continue to entice new readers and cartoonists. It’s high time for such a fitting tribute to this cartoon monarch.

HC w/ DJ PC $49.99 432 pages • 9.25″ x 7.5″ ISBN 978-1-61377-148-8

Ghostbusters #7

Erik Burnham (w) • Dan Schoening (a) • Schoening, Nick Runge (c)

It’s a nasty case of possession by a greed-driven ghost, and one of the Ghostbusters is its new vessel!  It’s a battle of wills on the mental plane in this latest issue of the hit ongoing Ghostbusters series!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Infestation 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 (of 2)

Tristan Jones (w) • Mark Torres (a) • menton3 (c)

One of the Turtles have been taken by the things in the dark depths of the sewers, and it’s up to the other brothers to save him. To do so, they will have to navigate the labyrinthine passage ways of the lost sewers and do battle with mind-bending monstrosities. If they fail, not only will their brother be lost, but the entire world as well!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Memorial #4 (of 6)

Chris Roberson (w) • Rich Ellis (a) • Michael WM Kaluta (c)

Em finds herself stranded in the Everlands with no way home, with no one but a lost little girl to guide her. Together, the two make their way across the “Stolen Moments,” encountering people and places that have been forgotten by history, or remembered only as stories. But with the Shadows and an army of living statues dogging her heels, and even greater dangers ahead, can Em survive long enough to find a way back to the only life she knows?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Monocyte #3 (of 4)

menton3, Kasra Ghanbari (w) • menton3 (a) • menton3, Ben Templesmith (c)

The penultimate issue of the series Ain’t It Cool News calls “one of those books you experience and return to again and again finding new things every time.”

The Olignostics are dying, and their fate now rests with the excommunicated Grod. Monocyte turns his attention to the Antedeluvian metropolis and their leader, the Green Man, but is confronted by the Antedeluvian elite guard, who test Monocyte against his greatest foes, light and life. Meanwhile, the liberated Olignostic slaves strike back at their former masters. Also features a cover by Ben Templesmith, an incentive cover by Eisner Award-winner George Pratt, and side stories by the legendary Bill Sienkiewicz and Pratt.

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Road Rage #2 (of 4)

Stephen King & Joe Hill, Chris Ryall (w) • Nelson Daniel (a) • Daniel, Phil Noto (c)

The Tribe have done some baaaad things in their time as a motorcyle club, but surely nothing deserving the full-on assault by an insane trucker in an oil rig! Throttle, the story by acclaimed novelist/Eisner-winning graphic novelist Joe Hill and his father, Stephen King, ensure that the road will run red before it’s all over!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Rocketeer Adventures 2 #1 (of 4)

Marc Guggenheim, Peter David, Stan Sakai (w) • Sandy Plunkett, Bill Sienkiewicz, Stan Sakai (a) • Darwyn Cooke, Dave Stevens (c)

The second volume of Dave Stevens’ Rocketeer blasts off with an all-new selection of great stories by some of the best in the biz! This issue starts off with a bang as Cliff finds himself in a dogfight, followed by a screening of everyone’s favorite cartoon character, and ending on a high-note with a lovely and somewhat familiar story—plus a gorgeous pin-up by Arthur Adams! That’s 25—count ’em, TWO FIVE—pages of topnotch comics!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Smoke and Mirrors #1 (of 5)

Mike Costa & Jon Armstrong (w) Ryan Browne (a) Browne, Fiona Staples (c)

From the company that brought you Locke & Key and Memorial! Mike Costa (COBRA, Blackhawks) teams with sleight-of-hand artist Jon Armstrong (also a consulting Imagineer for Disney) and acclaimed artist Ryan Browne (God Hates Astronauts)! A stage magician is thrust into a world where magic—not technology—rules, and forced to use trickery and illusions to survive!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Snake Eyes Ongoing #11

Chuck Dixon (w) • Alex Cal (a) • Dave Wilkins, Robert Atkins (c)

The Commander demands satisfaction! COBRA’s war on a helpless sovereign nation roars toward its conclusion. Snake Eyes is alone against the Red Ninjas led by Storm Shadow in the Temple of the Bells as weapons of mass destruction fall over Nanzhao. The Joes are in jeopardy at a border crossing against a squadron of B.A.T.s. Storm Shadow offers Snake Eyes a devil’s deal; the key to the heart of COBRA. Will the most dangerous Joe accept?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Star Trek #7

Mike Johnson (w) • Joe Corroney (a) • Tim Bradstreet (c)

The adventures of the new crew of the Enterprise continue in this all new two-part story that takes place soon after the events of the last film! While Vulcans struggle to survive in the wake of their homeworld’s destruction at the hands of rogue Romulans, and some Vulcans believe that the logical response can be summed up in one word: revenge! STAR TREK writer/producer Roberto Orci oversees this original story set in the timeline leading up to the blockbuster film sequel!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Star Trek/Legion of Superheroes #6 (of 6)

Chris Roberson (w) • Jeffrey Moy & Philip Moy (a) • Phil Jimenez, Jeffrey Moy (c)

It’s all been building up to this. Captain Kirk, Cosmic Boy, and the rest of the timelost Legionnaires and Starfleet officers have reached the end of the line, and are confronted with the powerful forces which have unwritten their respective histories. But with half of their teams stranded in the past and the other half held prisoner in the future, what chance do they have of overcoming the odds and restoring the worlds they once knew?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Robots in Disguise Ongoing #3

John Barber (w) • Andrew Griffith (a) • Casey Coller, Griffith (c)

CYBERTRON IN CRISIS! An explosion in the middle of the capitol city strikes. Was it a DECEPTICON attack? Suspicions run high, and the uneasy peace unravels! Only Wheeljack can solve the puzzle—but will he do it before Starscream takes advantage of the AUTOBOTS weakness! The bold new direction in Transformers storytelling continues!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99