And no one can possibly accuse Joe Sacco of producing disposable literature. That’s why I reckon graphic novels, and maybe the best hip hop lyrics, are about the most vivid sources of verbal inspiration around at the moment. The words, devoid of erstwhile responsibilities, can then just go doolally. It can basically loosen up words, make them more limber, more adventurous and less tied to the drudgery of actually describing and scene-setting. It’s pure gonzo, for sure, but the graphic novel format adds something essential to the gonzo genre. Truth is, Sacco has taught me what journalism can really do, if booted off its hack butt by imagination and guts. I bless the musicians, writers and artists who can do that to me. Isn’t it great to be a drooling irrational fan sometimes?! Especially for overloaded and occasionally cynical minds like mine. And let me tell you that Joe Sacco is a great deal easier to be complete about than Lee Perry. Now, very few people out there spur me to become a completist of their oeuvre. It was Joe Sacco’s latest tome about Palestine: ‘Footnotes In Gaza’. My sis, true to form, scored 180 with her Christmas present.
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