Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: 23rd Street, calista brill, first second, graphic novel, Markl Siegel

New Adult Comics Publisher 23rd Street from First Second's Mark Siegel

Macmillan Publishers has announced the launch of 23rd Street Books, a new imprint dedicated to publishing graphic novels for adults.

Macmillan Publishers has announced the launch of 23rd Street Books, a new imprint dedicated to publishing graphic novels for adults. Mark Siegel will be the Vice President, Executive Editorial, and Creative Director for both First Second and 23rd Street Books. Editorial Director Calista Brill, who joined First Second in 2008, will work closely with Siegel on the direction of both imprints.

23rd Street Books will launch in the autumn of 2025 with new publications from First Second creators like Gene Luen Yang and Zita the Spacegirl's Ben Hatke; pulling in talents from other fields including actor/comedian Damon Wayans, Jr., and poet/performer Saul Williams, as well as projects from new creators Jesse Lonergan, Anna Meyer, and Laurel and Mia Boulton; with more to be announced. First Second's existing collection of graphic novels for adults, including the The Adventure Zone series, will join the 23rd Street list moving forward.

23rd Street states that it intends to "serve as a home for the very best creators in the comics field, and to deliver graphic novels that span styles and genres, from the hilarious to the serious, from the escapist to the realist, from high-octane fiction in every genre to groundbreaking nonfiction—with a trademark commitment to aesthetics and editorial excellence."

First Second stated that it will continue to publish and acquire "acclaimed and groundbreaking graphic and non-fiction novels for children and teens" and that Brill and Siegel will be working closely on both. This is a change for the publisher, shifting into exclusively publishing graphic novels aimed at children and teenagers.

Siegel tells Publishers Weekly that this is less a strategic repositioning of First Second in the marketplace as it is "a flowering of First Second. It's a sign of success… First Second is adding more specialized attention and expertise and support to its adult program, and distinguishing it—it will become very much its own entity, but they're still two sides of the same coin."

Creative Director Kirk Benshoff will oversee both art departments. Siegel, Brill, and Benshoff will continue to report to Allison Verost, SVP and publisher of Roaring Brook Press, Farrar Straus & Giroux Books for Young Readers, and First Second Books. Tess Banta has additionally joined 23rd Street Books as Editor, with additional new hires to come.

"First Second is growing . . . It's now:01 + 23! This new line will wow you, thrill you, entertain, provoke, inform, and excite you," said Siegel. "Whether you're a reader, a creator, a librarian, or a bookseller, I hope that you will join us in the next chapter of this exploding comics renaissance!"

"Far more than a publishing catalogue, this new imprint is a creative lab, an incubator for the future of the medium," said Verost. "Beyond capitalizing on an existing market, 23rd Street aims to lead it, shape it, and champion its most visionary minds. I'm incredibly excited to launch 23rd Street as a place for creators to take risks and to build upon Macmillan and First Second's history of publishing groundbreaking and best-selling graphic novels."

As to the name of the new imprint, "Sometimes, we contrive stuff, and we think we're being very clever, but I tend to trust the stuff that comes up neat,"… 23rd Street being the street of the same name, in Manhattan, that bordered both Macmillan's former office space, in the Flatiron building, and was freely available as a web domain. "As soon as I put it down on a piece of paper and I saw '01' next to it, I thought, 'Oh, right! It's First Second growing… It's '01,' and now plus '23.' It's an organic evolution. First Second's reputation has really grown its strongest around young readers and YA."

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