| Founded: | in Stamford, Connecticut |
| Founders: | William E. Kanter and Penny Kanter |
| Country: | United States |
| Headquarters: | 6 Prowitt Street, Norwalk, Connecticut |
| Keypeople: | Peter Kanter |
| Publications: | Magazines, books |
| Topics: | Crosswords, puzzles |
| Genre: | Mysteries |
| Imprints: | Penny Press Crosstown Publications Dell Magazines |
| Image Caption: | Logo of Penny Publications. |
Penny Publications, LLC is an American magazine publisher specializing in puzzles, crosswords, sudokus as well as mystery and science fiction magazines. Penny Publications publishes over 85 magazines[1] distributed through newsstands, in stores, and by subscription in the United States and Canada. Penny Publications' headquarters are in Norwalk, Connecticut and their printing office is located in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Penny Publications was founded in 1973 in Stamford, Connecticut, by the husband-and-wife team of William E. "Bill" Kanter and Penny Kanter. Bill Kanter was the son of Albert Kanter (1897–1973), founder of The Gilberton Company, formerly the publisher of Classics Illustrated. The Kanters combined the remaining Gilberton assets with a struggling crossword publisher[2] to form Penny Press and Crosstown Publications. The parent company was named after Penny. In an homage to Classics Illustrated, one of the company's first titles was Classic Crosswords.
In March 1996, Penny Publications acquired Dell Magazines,[3] founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte, Jr. Dell Magazines, later popularly known for its science fiction and mystery magazines, had also from early on published puzzle magazines, including crossword games, beginning in 1931 with Dell Crossword Puzzles. Dell Crossword Puzzles, Official Crossword Puzzles, and Pocket Crossword Puzzles have all been published continuously for more than 60 years.[4]
Beginning in 2001, by arrangement with Three Across, Penny Publications has offered "New York Times style" crosswords to membership groups such as The Crosswords Club, The Large-Print Crosswords Club, and The Uptown Puzzle Club.[5]
In early 2010, Penny Publications renewed its agreement with Comag Marketing Group LLC for sale, marketing, and distribution of all of its titles, both under Penny Press and under Dell Magazine brands, in the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere.[4]
Magazines and imprints published by Penny Publications include: