An Israeli armored vehicle speeds toward a group of small children in the Gaza Strip. A photojournalist stands his ground as the children scatter about him. Four tons of metallic war crests a hill just ahead. He must have the perfect shot. Imagery such as this and more populate Joe Sacco’s “Comics Journalism” exhibit at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, showing from Nov. 1 through Feb. 5.
Sacco’s journalism is a photograph shot from the lens of his mind’s eye. With odd angles and a stark black and white art style, he seeks to convey “the feelings of contention and confusion” existing in zones of conflict.
“I don’t think that many people think of comics as a journalistic medium,” said Debbie Williamson Smith, communications manager of the museum. “I learned more (about the conflict in Bosnia) from his books than from the traditional media.”
It’s clear Sacco’s work loses nothing in its emotional impact. In the graphic novel “The Fixer and Other Stories,” a two-page spread depicts Sacco trudging through an empty street toward the Holiday Inn in Sarajevo. A feeling of dread and silence is nearly overwhelming.
“He’s an artist, and he has an appetite for the human condition,” said curator Lawrence Fong. “Every project he takes on is extensive, and he sees things that exist on the edge of reality. It may take him a page a week. And he has to live the emotional and intellectual toll for years. You might take exception to his subject matter, but you can’t deny the accessibility of his art.”
Sacco started his journalism career with a short stint writing for the National Notary Association Journal and then decided to go to the Middle East in the early ’90s. Unsure about the media’s portrayal of Palestinians, he decided to go out and learn for himself — and he did everything on the cheap. “I paid for my own flights and lived in youth hostels. I ate falafel most of the time,” he said.
Sacco’s work has been highly touted by critics, including the Eisner Award for the graphic novel “Safe Area Gorazde,” in 2001, and the Ridenhour Book Prize for “Footnotes in Gaza,” in 2010, the first of such prizes ever to be given to a comics journalist.
“Comics are fluid,” said Sacco. “I want the reader to connect with the way I felt. I’ve never hidden from the fact that my work is subjective, but I want to report honestly, and I want to convey an informed interpretation.”
“There’s never been a better time to be a cartoonist. There’s a lot of room to work, and much of it hasn’t been explored yet,” he continued.