Andrews McMeel Universal is buying all titles of Quirk Books, which will become an imprint of Andrews McMeel Publishing. Quirk founder and publisher Dave Borgenicht will become publisher of the Quirk Books imprint of Andrews McMeel Publishing, reporting to AMU president and CEO Kirsty Melville. Sales and distribution of the Quirk titles will remain with Penguin Random House Publisher Services. (Simon & Schuster distributes Andrews McMeel Publishing.) Borgenicht will work with staff at Quirk headquarters in Philadelphia, Pa., to wind down Quirk and transition the imprint. Andrews McMeel began publication of Quirk's frontlist and backlist titles, including all titles being released in late 2025, as of October 1.
Melville said, "I have known and admired Dave since he first launched Quirk Books and am excited to work with him. Quirk's witty, entertaining, and irreverent books seamlessly align with Andrews McMeel. We similarly tap into the zeitgeist, creating bestselling books that delight, inspire, inform, and entertain readers immensely."
Hugh Andrews, chairman of Andrews McMeel, said, "We are delighted to add the Quirk Books imprint to our exceptional offering of titles. They provide an ideal complement to our list, and will continue to do so in the future with their imaginative and engaging books."
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| David Borgenicht | |
Borgenicht said, "I've been a fan of Andrews McMeel since I was in high school and I opened my first The Far Side calendar. And I've admired their creativity and entrepreneurship for as long as I've worked in this industry--which is about as long as I've known Kirsty. I'm thrilled to be placing Quirk in their hands, and I'm really looking forward to doing some creative (and independent) publishing together."
Quirk Books was founded in 2002 and quickly became a part of popular culture. The Worst Case Scenario series has sold more than 10 million copies and has evolved into books, games, calendars, and two television series. Quirk's "irreference" titles have included The Action Hero's Handbook, The Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents, and The Baby Owner's Manual. Over the years, Quirk expanded into multiple genres, including fiction, YA, and children's books.
Other bestselling, notable titles include Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Grady Hendrix's Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, pop classics such as Elf and Back to the Future, William Shakespeare's Star Wars series, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and many more. Collectively, these titles alone have sold more than 15 million copies.
Andrews McMeel and Quirk said that "Quirk will retain its mission: to live up to its name, and to publish playful, bold, and unconventional books that make life a little bit better."