“RS: So in terms of journalism, who were you reading; who was influential?

JS: The biggest inspiration is George Orwell, especially the book Road to Wigan Pier. That had a big impact on me – just because he actually stayed where miners stayed and went down to the pits and all that. That was very compelling. I love the idea of going to a place and sort of putting yourself into it. Later on, obviously, I got some influence from Hunter S. Thompson and also Michael Herr’s Dispatches. It’s a book about the Vietnam War. He was originally writing for Esquire. What I liked about that book is that it created an atmosphere. It wasn’t about event after event after event. He really gave me a sense of the feel of a place; the taste of it.

RS: So this was the New Journalism?

JS: I guess it’s New Journalism. I didn’t know what to call it at the time, when I was reading it. But it appealed to me.

RS: And part of that was about putting yourself in the story?

JS: That’s right.

RS: And questioning the idea of objectivity?

JS: Yes. I studied American-style journalism and at some point that began to break down for me. Because I feel that in the case of a lot of topics, you can’t be objective. For example, when American or British journalists go somewhere, they bring themselves with them, obviously, and they bring their culture with them. And that isn’t often reflected in their stories.

RS: In terms of comics, you’re picking up influences from Britain and from America?

JS: I’d say my major comic influences would be people like Robert Crumb. He interested me greatly, and you can see it in my work. Who else? Early Mad, when it was a comic book. That was frantic stuff, with all these things going on in the panels. You can feel the obsessive detail.“

It hits you in the face. Regardless of taking sides, who is right, who is wrong, who committed what atrocity on which side (and sadly there are enough of those to go around all sides), regardless of creed, colour or any other supposed differences, a mother’s pain over the harm to her child is universal and its impossible not to feel some of it. I had to stop reading it for today at that point. I’ve often thought Sacco quite brave for putting himself into areas where most of us wouldn’t dare to tread even with an SAS bodyguard, yet he goes and stays in them and talks to the people there; it reminds me a little of the legendary photojournalists I’ve admired like Robert Capa who knew there was a story there that had to be told. But reading that chapter my estimation of him rose, not for the bravery of going to a land where death is so very easy but for being able to face the emotional cost like this too. That chapter’s bloody hard to read; I can only imagine how much harder it was for the artist to be there, talking to that mother in a rubble strewn street, looking into her eyes and having no answers for her. Parts of it can be very hard to read, but it deserves to be read.

More on Footnotes as I go along.

(Joe Sacco photograph by Richard Saker from the Guardian website.)

First up a quick interview in the Guardian with Joe Sacco, discussing his career and his latest book: Footnotes In Gaza, which looks like it may miss out on some best of year lists by sheer misfortune of coming out slightly too late. From past history and advance looks that’s the only reason its not going to be one of many people’s books of the year.

And then to finish, here’s Eddie Campbell, whose Alec: The Years Have Pants is soon to be released (available in hardcover and softcover) It’s another one that will no doubt be a contender for best of year – again, if it comes out in time! He’s interviewed over on Italian site Comicus. The English version of this extensive interview is halfway down the page and, as is usual with one of comics funniest raconteurs, there are some wonderful quotes…..

“My two most asked questions are “Where did you get your ideas?” and “How mad is Alan Moore?” He’s a magnificent fellow. He’s a genius. In all my life if I ever met somebody I thought was a genius it’d be him, he would be the one. Because his head’s full of information and ideas. It doesn’t matters if he loses his idea because Hollywood steal it and makes the mess of it, he’ll have another idea tomorrow and he always will have another idea; I’ve never met anybody who always have another idea tomorrow.”

“I love to paint through the colour. I do it all by hand, I think I’m the last person that paint the books you know rather than colour on the computer. I’m trying to get somebody to teach me how to do it, how to colour on the computer. I’m looking for a seven-year-old who can tell me how to do it.”

And as Richard already mentioned here a little while back Gosh! also has a rare chance to meet Joe Sacco coming up on September 30th (Joe will also be appearing as part of Comica on the 29th), with Fred Van Lente and Eddie Campbell on the cards for the near future, so if you’re in town do go along and lend some support and take advantage of a chance to meet some top creators.

(Joe Sacco – in the flesh and as you probably know him.)

In advance of the release of his latest book; Footnotes In Gaza (released December from Jonathan Cape), Joe Sacco is in the UK for a couple of appearances. He’s at Comica 2009 on September 29th and GOSH London on 30th September.

Sacco may well need little introduction; his writing gets right into the human condition during it’s worst moments in a series of graphic novels detailing life in some of the world’s bleaker areas (Palestine, Bosnia) yet always with a uniquely personal, often humorous and always original and affecting view.

(Sacco’s collection of reportage, essential reading for anyone.)

(a frame from last year’s Observer winner, Sand Dunes and Sonic Booms by and (c) Julian Hanshaw)