If you’re like me, you’ve been unintentionally building a collection of cookbooks during these trying times, and the geekier the book, the better. One thing I tend to worry about with cookbooks, though, is having to grab ingredients that don’t take too kindly to my bank account.
Enter The Poorcraft Cookbook, a book that combines delightful, cartoonish art with recipes that are made for those of us living on a budget that we’re trying our best to stick to.
What is The Poorcraft Cookbook?
The Poorcraft Cookbook is the next entry in the Poorcraft series by Iron Circus Comics. The series is described as follows:
“Whether you’re new to independent living, a recent college graduate or just downshifting to a simpler lifestyle, Poorcraft can help you with everything from finding a home to finding a hobby, dinner to debt relief, education to entertainment. It’s time to cut your expenses! Or just make sure they never pile up.”
“Iron Circus Comics has sold tens of thousands of copies of Poorcraft: The Comic Book Guide to Practical Urban and Suburban Frugality since our first Kickstarter,” said Spike Trotman, the owner of Iron Circus Comics. “Now, the oft-requested third volume rounds out the Poorcraft series, following Ryan Estrada’s essential guide to traveling with a frugal budget, Poorcraft: Wish You Were Here. It’s impossible for me to think of a better title to spotlight, as we move from Kickstarter to our own independent Iron Circus crowdfunding.”
The cookbook is being written and illustrated by cartoonist Nero Villagallos O’Reilly, who brings Trotman’s characters to life with an art style that makes me want to grab a bowl of cereal, comfy pajamas, and remote so I can tune in to their adventures on a Saturday morning.
“The Poorcraft Cookbook was created for anybody living on a budget who wants to learn more about cooking, recipe-building, and kitchen management without breaking the bank. Whether you’re still paying off your student loans, adjusting your family budget, or just cutting back; there’s tips and tricks for every wallet,” said O’Reilly. “The Poorcraft Cookbook has cheap and delicious recipes including sancocho, one-pot spaghetti, bean burgers, empanadas, and ginger snap cookies. Plus the book features a fully-concealed spiral binding that will look great on your bookshelf and, more importantly, lay flat while you cook!”
I, for one, have been living on a budget (or, at least, attempting to) since the before-times of the panini, so I’m excited to get some cooking tips that keep that in mind.
On top of the food sounding scrumptious, I greatly appreciate the part about the book laying flat while you cook. I actually didn’t realize how much I’d want that until I realized that most of the fun cookbooks I had just… didn’t lay flat on my kitchen counter.
An exclusive look at what’s simmering at the stove
To celebrate the launch of The Poorcraft Cookbook’s crowdfunding campaign, we got a sneak peek at what you can expect to see in the 200+ page book.
I gotta say, that grocery store map really is how I feel when I’m looking for specific ingredients sometimes. That being said, I appreciate the inclusion of The Dollar Store and am exciting to see what gets picked up there.
How to support The Poorcraft Cookbook
If you’re familiar with Iron Circus Comics, you know that they generally host their projects on Kickstarter and have been since 2009 with the very first Poorcraft book. However, the publisher is stepping away from Kickstarter and is, instead, making the cookbook their first independently run campaign.
Trotman had this to say about the move:
“Iron Circus launched its first crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter in 2009 with the first ever Poorcraft graphic novel, so we’re coming full circle now by launching our first independently run campaign with The Poorcraft Cookbook. Over the course of 30 campaigns, we built and nurtured a community of repeat backers who wanted to read and support a different kind of indie comic. Kickstarter made Iron Circus Comics, and that’s not hyperbole, that’s just a straight fact.
Kickstarter was centralized, had good discoverability, and a transparent, automated system to organize backer data. It was the answer to every weakness that existed in independent crowdfunding before they came on the scene. I never planned on leaving, not until that blockchain announcement was made. But it’s time to move on.
The move to independent crowdfunding is a huge pivot for us, as a Black-owned, independent, progressive comic publisher. I would say to everyone who ever supported an Iron Circus project on Kickstarter that there’s truly never been a better time to support one of our campaigns. Help us build the future.”
Trotman is looking to raise $6,000 to get the book put into production. You can check out the campaign right over here to preorder your copy of the book. Please note: demand was so high yesterday that the site crashed, but it seems to be working now! If not, check back when you can!
(Image: Nero Villagallos O’Reilly)
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