The Little King cartoon character was created by Otto Soglow in 1931. This popular and portly little sovereign didn't talk in his comic strip, but was funny because of the pantomime, and his lackadaisical approach to being a regal monarch. The Rum and Maple Tobacco Corporation launched their Little King Cigarettes in March 1953 at a tobacco convention in Atlantic City. Cartoonist Otto Soglow was on hand to draw caricatures of visitors to the Rum and Maple booth. The attractive red and white pack was a short-lived attempt to capitalize on the clever brandname, and the well rounded figure. Rum and Maple was a small New York City pipe tobacco manufacturer, and is best remembered for their Rum and Maple Cigarettes. These cigarettes were made from pipe tobacco laced with rum and maple syrup, and were first marketed in 1937 as Blend 53 C. During the war years this concoction was changed to Blend "97" Not Aromatic. Eventually, the cigarette became a king size filter. Rum and Maple Cigarettes were discontinued about 1974. The Little King comic strip, however, wasn't dropped until Mr. Soglow's death in 1975. The Rum and Maple company didn't manufacture their own cigarettes, but contracted with Tobacco Blending Corporation, and later Larus & Bro., to produce Little King and Rum and Maple cigarettes.