PPirong coffee on the roof by Engi

Ppirong coffee on the roof is a risograph book created by illustrator Engi, and independently printed through crowdfunding on Tumblbug. I spotted Ppirong coffee on the roof after following the Instagram account of a South Korean bookstore called Sim Place. This title is 24 pages long, printed in limited colors on a distinct textured paper. and is a mix of comic and picture book.

A risograph book like this one is a book printed by a specific Riso printer, which is manufactured by Riso Kagaku Corporation Risograph. (2024, November 9). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risograph. It appears that Ppirong coffee on the roof is a limited-run risograph book only available in certain bookstores in South Korea. All illustrations are done in orange, blue, and grey.

To learn more about the book and its origin, I read what Sim Place posted on their Instagram, which I used Google to translate. I'm including the translation below, although I can't guarantee the accuracy of the translation. However, I think it's important to include because the translation details that the author's name may actually be Kim Gi, and Engi might be a pen name.

"<New works in stock>📚

.

Simple Bookstore, a space for cats, a cat-loving author, Kim Gi @engisstuff The author's new work "Hot coffee on the roof" is in stock!! (SCREAMS THE CAT!!! )

You probably don't know how long I've been waiting for this piece.

.

When I first opened the bookstore in 2020, I wanted to have it in stock. The poster of the author Kim Gi was in stock, but the book stopped production at that time, so I couldn't even put it in stock, so I just bought it personally and kept it. And as time goes by, I finally upgraded a bit more (? )So it's been republished!!

President Les modeled for the book on behalf of Simple Bookstore to celebrate the book release. Normally I'm not a kind of guy who does this kind of thing, but the director of the restaurant also responded to the model without snacks whether he liked the work!

There are a total of three books of the "Hot Coffee on the Roof" book.

In addition to books, posters, postcards, stickers etc. of the author's other works that were sold out have been restocked. So come and see them at Simple Bookstore~~!!" (@sim_place, Nov 8, 2024).

After falling in love with photos of the book, I was able to get a few copies sent to me. I cannot even describe how cute it is in real life. Each copy was wrapped and came with two stickers. Sim Place also included an art print! I hope to one day visit the store in Korea.

I believe this book may have been printed through crowd-funding, per this link here on a site called Tumblbug. I also found a product listing for the book here. It's listed for 15,000 won, or about $10.73. The description read, "A cat who opened a coffee shop on a slate roof in Euljiro!!! But the cat customers are not coming… Gwangnyang decides to wander around the streets of Euljiro and make a special coffee. Will Gwangnyang be able to make a coffee that goes crazy?" 오혜. (2024, October 27). 지붕 위 삐롱커피1 - 오혜. https://ohye.kr/product/books/%EC%A7%80%EB%B6%95-%EC%9C%84-%EC%82%90%EB%A1%B1%EC%BB%A4%ED%94%BC1/

Only when I started writing this post did I truly feel confident about the plot of Ppirong coffee on the roof. I can't read Korean and originally only used the book's illustrations to piece together the story.

Speaking of the illustrations — wow! Gwangnyang the cat has a simple design, but is so expressive. He has cartoonish proportions and a sweet look.

From page one, Gwangnyang's passion for coffee and his drive to run a successful cafe make him lovable. His eager little face falls into adorable disappointment when his only customers are mice.

Gwangnyang searches for the best coffee by going to other restaurants and cafes and trying different coffees. Engi treats us to scenes of Gwangnyang in charming cafes; one cafe is run by a harried tiger, another is full of plants and live music.

Although Gwangnyang mostly walks on two feet, we do get to see him on all fours playing with a gear and a spring. So cute!

Gwangnyang is a hard worker, absolutely determined to find a way to make the best coffee. He tests all the coffee recipes. Even when the coffee is so bad that he spits it out, he keeps trying.

Then, finally, he discovers the perfect coffee. It's so good that it literally BLOWS HIM AWAY! His triumph is depicted with an all-orange background and an exaggerated face. It's a bold page with cartoonish physics and exclamatory speech bubbles. This is clearly one of Engi's favorites — it's the source illustration for the sticker that came with the book.

Gwangnyang's hard work doesn't stop with his coffee discovery. He replaces his sign, brings in heavy boxes, and revamps the cafe. Even the mice try to pitch in.

The next spread is a gorgeous illustration of a hopping cafe. String lights create bold bursts of orange light, cats sit in and around boxes with steaming cups of coffee, couples canoodle, and mice play.

Of course, our story cannot end there. Turn the page and you will see a long line of cats waiting for coffee (including one taking a selfie), but you'll also see an eagle take notice of the happy cafe...

An ominous shadow covers the cafe, and startled cats look up. When the eagle's talons come toward Gwangnyang at the counter, cats flee and coffee spills. I feel like Engi had a lot of fun illustrating this spread. Cats with comically arched backs and flying limbs make for a dynamic scene.

The final page shows the eagle serenely drinking a nice cup of coffee. Luckily the back of the book reveals Gwangnyang in his little apron, peering up and ready to get back to his cafe while cats huddle below.

Ppirong coffee on the roof is absolutely delightful. I love the simple plot — it allows the illustrations to really shine. Plus, because it's such a well-illustrated comic, I was able to follow the story without being able to read the words. I'm obsessed with Gwangnyang and his wholesome desire to serve delicious coffee. Highly recommend!

Book Info

• Title: Ppirong coffee on the roof

• Publisher: Independent (unknown)

• ISBN: unknown

• Author: Engi

• Illustrator: Engi

• Pub date: 2024

• Source: https://ohye.kr/product/books/%EC%A7%80%EB%B6%95-%EC%9C%84-%EC%82%90%EB%A1%B1%EC%BB%A4%ED%94%BC1/