Goldcorp Centre for the Arts at SFU Woodward’s, November 6, 2013
by David Lester
The great Joe Sacco was articulate and engaging last night in Vancouver as he sat down for a conversation that included host Charlie Smith of the Georgia Straight newspaper.
Joe Sacco is the author/illustrator of 12 books including the masterpiece Footnotes in Gaza.
When asked about the origins of his book Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt, Sacco described how he was approached with the idea by co-author Chris Hedges over drinks one night in Portland. Sacco amused the audience of 150 by saying , “Put a drink in front of me and I’ll probably come up with a book.”
Asked why he made his art in “analog” instead of digital, Sacco passionately explained how he still loved drawing, and the smell of ink and the sound of his pen on paper. He rightly questioned why drawing by hand should even be considered analog. Drawing is drawing. He added that he didn’t know how to use Photoshop, but “probably should.”
Joe Sacco revealed that future comic projects include a sexual farce, “Which I’m quite enjoying.” And a major long term work about Mesopotamia, which will deal with his interest in issues of social inequality.
Sacco’s latest book is The Great War: July 1, 1916: The First Day of the Battle of the Somme.
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David Lester is author/illustrator of The Listener