C. Spike Trotman's Poorcraft characters are embarking on a mission to help readers take control of their budget while expanding their palate in The Poorcraft Cookbook, from writer and artist Nero Villagallos O'Reilly. The third volume in the Poorcraft series, The Poorcraft Cookbook is a graphic guide to eating on a budget without compromising on taste or quality. Published by Iron Circus Comics, the graphic novel includes recipes, cooking techniques, and even buying tips, coming to readers through a just-launched independently run crowdfunding campaign.
Intended to help readers looking to improve life while living frugally, the series' prior successes include Poorcraft: The Comic Book Guide to Practical Urban and Suburban Frugality and travel guide Poorcraft: Wish You Were Here. Now, the third volume turns its eye to food, with lovable characters breaking down every element of eating well without breaking the bank, from kitchen management to recipe building. Curated recipes include appetizers, entrees, desserts, and cocktails, with a 200+ page, concealed-spiral-bound design stretch goal that makes the book look great on the shelf but also easy to lay flat while cooking.
Having raised nearly $2.5 million in prior crowdfunding for more than thirty different projects, Trotman and Iron Circus are cutting out the middle man, running their first ever independent crowdfunding campaign to get the book published and available to fans. The crowdfunding campaign is being hosted on Iron Circus Comics' website. Screen Rant is proud to present an excerpt from the book, which discusses reverse-engineering favorite meals to cut down on the cost of eating out, and applying the logic of mindfulness to the eating experience.
Iron Circus Comics' founder C. Spike Trotman has previously worked on the webcomic 'Templar, Arizona' as well as the Smut Peddler erotic comic anthologies and Poorcraft, and was an early adopter of the crowdfunding model for small-press comics. Having created Poorcraft to serve an audience who want to live well while remaining in control of their finances, Spike explains to Screen Rant why she feels Nero Villagallos O'Reilly was the perfect creative talent for the book:
Nero was the perfect person for The Poorcraft Cookbook because they are the full package. Reliable, knowledgeable, incredibly talented artistically, and enthusiastic about the project! I love to flip through the book and just admire how much energy and care he put into the project.
A veteran of The Nib, Filthy Figments, Real Change, and Fortuna Media, O'Reilly is a longtime supporter of the Poorcraft series and jumped at the chance to handle the third volume, explaining how this graphic novel dovetailed with the focus of prior projects:
The Poorcraft series is easily accessible. It’s even in my local public library! I think the first one was one of the first books I backed on Kickstarter. It’s also a great resource that holds up really well, even years later.
As for Spike and Iron Circus Comics itself - Spike has real eye for quality, and an ethos I can definitely stand by. She was the one who originally brought up the idea of the Poorcraft Cookbook to me while talking during a particularly quiet convention. I was originally doing a zine series about two gay men living on a farm, where each issue would have a recipe from the comic in the back. The chance to put out a cookbook in front of such a passionate audience is one I couldn’t pass up.
Ideal for recent college graduates, independent living, or simply managing household bills, The Poorcraft Cookbook offers readers a breezy but comprehensive guide to the world of food guaranteed to teach something practical and new. Fans of the project can find out more and support The Poorcraft Cookbook on Iron Circus Comics' website.