Joe Sacco On the War in Gaza

Joe Sacco writes and cartoons about the war on Gaza at The Comics Journal site this month. Joe is a nonfiction cartoonist, specializing in true stories from war zones. His series titled "Palestine," about his experiences in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip from December 1991 to January 1992, will be reprinted by Fantagraphics this year due to demand.

 

"When cartoonist Joe Sacco first published Palestine a little more than 30 years ago, most people were indifferent. The nonfiction graphic novel was part comic book, part memoir of his journeys through the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and nothing like it had ever really been published before.

"Today, the acclaimed graphic novel is considered a trailblazing work, and as the war in Gaza continues to rage, the book is experiencing a resurgence. Demand is so high that the book is out of stock, prompting its publisher to take the rare step of ordering a rapid reprinting.

"Gary Groth, president and co-founder of Fantagraphics, said the newfound interest in Palestine began after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants that killed more than 1,200 people in Israel. The attack unleashed an Israeli bombardment of Gaza that has so far killed more than 24,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Gaza.

"'You don't have momentous events like this occur that are relevant to most books,' he said. 'The subject matter, unfortunately, appears to be timeless.'"  -- NPR