Joe Sacco
Joe Sacco
Joe Saccois a Maltese-American cartoonist and journalist. He is best known for his comics journalism, in particular in the books Palestineand Footnotes in Gaza, on Israeli–Palestinian relations; and Safe Area Goraždeand The Fixeron the Bosnian War...
ProfessionJournalist
Date of Birth2 October 1960
journalist kinds lots people primary spends stories time
I think any journalist who spends time in a place realizes that there are lots of stories around beyond their primary story. You meet so many interesting people and have all kinds of experiences.
figure neglected people
I tried to draw people more realistically, but the figure I neglected to update was myself.
sites
I don't often go to a place just to check out all the cultural sites of a city.
stay
Oh, it's essential. I mean, you have to - if I'm writing about the Middle East, I have to go there, and if possible, stay long enough to get a real feeling for what's going on.
generally good
I think I'm generally a good listener anyway.
drawn
Of course, I'm drawn to a place like Iraq because It's the biggest story of our generation.
last palestine people trip trying
My guide had a copy of Palestine on my last trip to Gaza. He'd bring it out and show people what I was trying to do. That usually went over pretty well.
certain magazines short traveling work
I don't like just traveling in for a short time. I've done that before, because sometimes you work for magazines and they have a budget, and if you're working for them, they want something by a certain time.
matter robert subject
Robert Crumb is an influence on how I draw, but not on the subject matter I take or my approach. One thing I do like about Crumb is that he's chronicled his age, his times, and I think that is what artists should do.
advantage comic depict hard journalism
For me, one advantage of comic journalism is that I can depict the past, which is hard to do if you're a photographer or filmmaker.
fit hard might people sort
And I think I find, I know a lot of people around, in different cities, and so it's not - it might sound strange - but it's not that hard to say good-bye, because I know there's other people where I'm going. I can sort of fit in in a lot of places.
comics format information solid
With comics you can put interesting and solid information in a format that's pretty palatable.
self analysis action
It is great to be introspective, self analysis can be useful, but only if it results in action.
teaching exhausting satisfying
Nothing is quite as satisfying and exhausting as teaching.