Blog Posts

Four Of Our Favorite Feline-Friendly Authors

published by Danielle Mohlman on October 22, 2012 - 9:48am

Image via Must Read Faster

Have you ever tried to hug a cat? I'm talking really hug and squeeze one. It’s damn near impossible. These feline-friendly authors have at the very least attempted to give their kitty a nuzzle.

Freaky Friday: Monster Babies from Microcrafts!

published by Eric Smith on October 19, 2012 - 12:45pm

Welcome back to Freaky Friday, where we're dishing out some fun Halloween tips through the month.

So far we've showed you how to make Witches Brew from Witch Craft and Pumpkin Cupcake Toppers from Craft-A-Day. Next up, we've got these adorable monster babies from Microcrafts by Alicia Kachmar, Margaret McGuire, and Katie Hatz. 

We've included the tracing template below. Feel free to save it and print it out. Enjoy!

Ten Of Our Favorite Foods From Literature That You Can Actually Make Yourself

published by Elizabeth Knauss on October 18, 2012 - 12:00pm

For those that love words and those that love food, the combination is heaven. I first learned how literary food could make my mouth water and tongue slurp like Wile E. Coyote through Dr. Seuss. Green Eggs and Ham, man. Then, I remember reading how Edmund couldn’t resist Turkish Delights and loved how an author could make a sugary treat sound so tempting. I don’t need that much convincing, but it’s always pleasant to experience lovely language mixed with food. Preview: Dainty slapjacks garnished with honey and puddings made of delightful creaminess.

In short I became very ravenous, especially for pudding, figuring out which literary recipes to present. You might too.
 
1. Turkish Delight (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe): In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Edmund inhaled the Snow Queen’s Turkish Delight (pictured above!) and betrayed his siblings! Then, he had the gall to ask for more. Sheesh.
 
Turkish Delight is comprised of sugar, gelatin, water, and cornstarch, and it is commonly flavored with rosewater, lemon or mint. History says a Turkish man named Bekir Effendi, who opened up a confectionary shop in Istanbul in 1776, unveiled the delicacy in his sweet boutique. Legend has it that an Englishman stumbled upon the treat and began shipping cases back to Britain calling it “Turkish Delight.”
 
Soon, it became a ritual among socialites to exchange Turkish Delights wrapped in silk handkerchiefs as gifts. [Recipe]
 
2. Pickled Limes (Little Women): The youngest sister, Amy, in Louis May Alcott’s Little Women was crazy for pickled limes. Pickles limes were the iPhones of today, the Tamagotchis and Pogs of the nineties.
 
"Why, you see, the girls are always buying them, and unless you want to be thought mean, you must do it too. It's nothing but limes now, for everyone is sucking them in their desks in schooltime, and trading them off for pencils, bead rings, paper dolls, or something else, at recess. If one girl likes another, she gives her a lime. If she's mad with her, she eats one before her face, and doesn't offer even a suck."
 
So, you see, anyone who is anyone eats pickled limes. [Recipe]

Worst-Case Wednesday: How to Survive a Trip Over a Waterfall

published by Eric Smith on October 17, 2012 - 11:15am

Photo by Mark Skipper

With the weather getting colder, the time for jumping into a deep, refreshing lake (possibly off a small cliff and/or waterfall) has long since passed.

So chances are, if you're about to take a plunge off a waterfall these days, it's accidental. Or you're at some exotic location on vacation. If that's the case, why didn't you bring me? Jerk.

Anyhow, it's best to be prepared. So here's how you survive a trip over a waterfall, thanks to the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht. 

DesignPhiladelphia: Photos & Video From Our Alternate Covers Gallery

published by Eric Smith on October 16, 2012 - 1:23pm

DesignPhiladelphia 2012: Quirk's Alternate Covers Gallery from Quirk Books on Vimeo.

Last week was a busy week for us here at the Quirk HQ.

Some of us were off in Germany at the Frankfurt Book Fair, while others were setting up shop at New York Comic Con. The rest of us were busy with a DesignPhiladelphia event, where we showcased alternate and original covers for a number of our fiction titles. 

From a pulp-horror-novel inspired Bedbugs cover to the original oil paintings for some of our mashups, we had a lot of great art hanging on the walls in DrinkPhilly's spacious Old City office. If you missed it, we've got a video and some photos for you. Have a look, and enjoy! 

A huge thank you to everyone who came out, and a very special thank you to DrinkPhilly for letting us use their office. We're already looking forward to next year! 

Creepy Cute Crochet Hits Germany, Editors at Goldmann Make Adorable Projects

published by Eric Smith on October 15, 2012 - 2:06pm

RAWR!

Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden is coming out in Germany on October 22nd, and we sure are excited. It's being published as Mini-Monster: 20 Amigurumi-Monster zum Selberhäkeln with Goldmann. 

Though the best part about this news might just be the adorable photos we were sent. Claudia Bitz, an editor at Goldmann, and the folks at Random House Germany made a handful of amigurumi projects from the book, and sent some pictures over to us. 

Check them out after the jump. 

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