|
Palestine
by Joe Sacco, introduction by Edward Said
Joe Sacco's
breakthrough novel of graphic journalism
is a landmark of journalism and the artform
of comics.
Based on
several months of research and an extended
visit to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in
the early 1990s (where he conducted over
100 interviews with Palestinians and Jews),
Palestine was the first major comics
work of political and historical nonfiction
by Sacco, whose name has since become synonymous
with this graphic form of New Journalism.
Like Safe Area Gorazde, Palestine
has been favorably compared to the Pulitzer
Prize-winning Maus, by Art Spiegelman, for
its ability to brilliantly navigate such
socially and politically-sensitive subject
matter within the confines of the comic
book medium. Sacco has often been called
the first comic book journalist, and he
is certainly the best.
Sacco's insightful
reportage takes place at the front lines,
where busy marketplaces are spoiled by shootings
and tear gas, soldiers beat civilians with
reckless abandon, and roadblocks go up before
reporters can leave. Sacco interviewed and
encountered prisoners, refugees, protesters,
wounded children, farmers who had lost their
land, and families who had been torn apart
by the Palestinian conflict.
In 1996,
the Before Columbus Foundation awarded Palestine
the seventeenth annual American Book Award,
a prestigious rarity for something told
in comic book form that rightfully recognized
Sacco's unique talents as both a journalist
and cartoonist, stating that the author
should be recognized for his "outstanding
contribution to American literature,"
while his publisher, Fantagraphics, is "to
be honored for their commitment to quality
and their willingness to take risks that
accompany publishing outstanding books and
authors that may not prove 'cost-effective'
in the short run."
This new
edition of Palestine is a compilation
of Sacco's comics series and features a
new introduction from renowned author, critic,
and historian Edward Said, one of the world's
most respected authorities on the Palestinian
issue.
About the
Author
Joe Sacco
is a Maltese citizen currently residing
in New York, where he makes his living as
a cartoonist and journalist. Sacco received
his bachelor of arts degree in journalism
at the University of Oregon in 1981.
In late 1991
and early 1992, Sacco spent two months in
occupied Palestine, traveling and taking
notes. When he finally returned again to
Portland in mid-1992, it was with the intention
of communicating what he had witnessed and
heard during his Mid-Eastern jaunt - to
combine the techniques of eyewitness reportage
with the medium of comics storytelling to
explore this complex, emotionally weighted
situation. Palestine, the first issue
of which was released in 1993, was the result.
Sacco gained widespread praise for the depth
of his research, the sensitivity of his
handling of a delicate subject, as well
as for the craft exhibited in his dynamic,
sophisticated layouts and bold narrative.
Palestine has garnered praise in
a wide variety of publications and set new
standards for the use of the comic book
as a documentary medium.
Reviews
"Sacco's Palestine brilliantly and
poignantly captures the essense of life
under a repressive and prolonged occupation.
Each page is equivalent to an essay on one
of the many aspects of the occupation -
killings, injuries, administrative detention,
bureaucratic harrassment, death squads,
land confiscation, torture... etc. His material
is presented with a great deal of skill,
insight and compassion."
- Nasseer H. Aruri
"Palestine…
is this genius' magnum opus."
- World Art
"Sacco
is formidably talented...a powerful piece
of work".
- The Independent
"Joe
Sacco's Palestine… is a whole that
transcends both its medium and its mandate."
- Washington City Paper
Related Links
Joe
Sacco's Palestine: Where Comics Meets Journalism
January
Magazine interviews Joe Sacco
The
Guardian interviews Joe Sacco
Village
Voice interviews Joe Sacco
|
