In Review - Poorcraft

Poorcraft is the comic about living well on the cheap.  It discusses a variety of topics, including housing, food, fashion, health, transport, entertainment, and education.  Poorcraft also includes sections discussing what to do when things go wrong.  The book presents all of this advice through the friendly and knowledgeable Penny and her struggling neighbor Mil.   Penny helps Mil to cut our her unnecessary expenses so that she can enjoy her life more while living within her means.  As the story progresses, Mil learns the skills that she needs to pay down her debt, save for the future, and live well.  All at the same time.

Art

The art for Poorcraft was produced by Diane Nock and generally consists of black and white drawings in a style reminiscent of 1920s and 30s cartoons.  Nock is a good visual story-teller, conveying action and providing some humorous diversions interspersed with the more series advice provided in the text.  The more illustrative pages (for example, explaining how to butcher a chicken) are clear and easy to understand.

Story/Content

Poorcraft does not have a narrative story, per say.  However, there is a basic plot that helps tie all the advice together.  The content that C. Spike Trotman presents for the novice skinflint is really useful.  Everything from how to evaluate the walkability of a neighborhood to preparing your own meals to handling things if you are already in financial trouble.  I love the conversational tone that Trotman uses.  It feels less like reading a book on financial advice, and more like a friend gently pointing you to ways that you could live better on less.

Overall

This is such a great book, even if, like me, you don't need to live on a super frugal budget, but instead, just prefer to keep their expenses down.  If either cases apply to you, I recommend picking up the book.  It's available directly from Iron Circus Studios, or on Amazon.  It's also available online for the low, low price of free.

Rating:  4.5 / 5