Review by Matthew Nielsen
Journalism by Joe Sacco is another intense and shocking book by journalist-cartoonist Joe Sacco. It is a collection of true stories from around the world, including former Yugoslavia, Chechnya, Iraq, Malta, India and more.
One or two stories are in colour but the rest is in Sacco’s stunning black and white. His illustrations rarely have gradients and are instead cross-hatched and shaded through line art. The flow of the speech bubbles telling detailed stories, with artwork equally as detailed and full of all shades of life, makes for an amazing reading experience. The people we meet in Journalism and the self-analytical nature of Sacco’s writing bring many things to the reader’s attention about the world and, perhaps, about their own place in the world as well.
It is difficult for me to choose a definite favourite story as they are all fascinating. However one I’d like to briefly describe is one in which Sacco interviews various people in Malta regarding their views on the influx of numerous refugees and immigrants. As he is a Maltese-American as well as a determined journalist, Sacco is able to cover many points of view whilst asking various vital questions in order to present a wider picture of the situation. Not only does Sacco interview local Maltese but he also interviews refugees and immigrants, and we hear of the problems and concerns of all sides.
Some of these stories get very heavy, but so much of reality is heavy that truth should not be ignored purely because of its intensity. Perhaps this book sounds like your cup of tea? If not for the stories, then you should definitely check it out for the artwork. Some elements are stylized, some elements are more realistic, but either way, it’s quite incredible.
