(FORTUNE Small Business) – Open court, a century-old publisher of academic philosophy books, reached out to the masses in 2001 with a philosophical look at Seinfeld. That book's success spawned a pop-culture series, taking the company from revenues of about $750,000 annually to almost $3 million last year.

THE UNEXAMINED MARKET The Chicago-based company had tried before to break past its academic base--"it's a pretty limited market," concedes CEO Jack Olbrych--but with only limited success. With Seinfeld and Philosophy, which included essays such as "George's Failed Quest for Happiness," the publisher hit upon the right mix of academics and fun: "While it's a reasonably serious philosophical work," Olbrych says, "it is designed to be readable by someone who isn't a philosopher." When Seinfeld sold 7,000 copies its first year--a big score in philosophy--Olbrych and editorial director David Steele turned to The Simpsons and Philosophy, which has sold 210,000 copies. Titles for 2004 explore the inner depths of baseball, Harry Potter, The Sopranos, and Woody Allen.

FROM BART TO SARTRE Once just a "flea on the dog" of parent company Carus (which publishes kids' magazines and had $25 million in revenues last year), Open Court now has a stronger identity, says Steele. One result: It is mailing a separate catalog. "The pop culture series draws people in and then helps drive sales of other titles," Olbrych says. Who says that popular culture isn't intellectually stimulating? --KATRINA B. HUNT