This week I have chosen to focus on Joe Sacco’s graphic novel, Safe Area Goražde – a depiction of the Bosnian War (1992-95). Joe Sacco a Maltese – American journalist illustrates the Bosnian war from various angles. Although Sacco is neither native nor an insider, I would like to highlight (a mere) 3 of many aspects which I believe give Sacco authority in telling the story of others and this novel legitimacy. This includes his search for “Real Truth”, choice of genre, and the inclusion and depiction of himself throughout the novel.

In the prologue Sacco introduces an unnamed character claiming to “know the Real Truth about Goražde” because he has “seen everything”, but promptly Sacco reveals he “never visited that man”, but rather “avoided him completely”. This prologue effectively demonstrates that Sacco was not looking for one account of the war to tell this story, but rather multiple sources reflecting on the past, present and future. By including a wide variety of people, he creates a broad and extensive collective experience of the war. His search for various voices is exemplified on pages 160 and 161 titled “Can you live with Serbs again?” Here, Sacco illustrates 9 individuals’ responses with not one response the same. I think it is obvious that Sacco was not trying to hide or supress voices and think contributes to the validity of the novel.

It appears that Safe Area Goražde, has been characterized and well received as a graphic novel. Sacco along with many others in the field of graphic novels and narratives massage the genre into something rather unique; his inclusion of what seems to be well researched history and first hand truth claims gives this novel validity. In an article titled Journalism and Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt written by Bill Kartalopoulos he indicates that the “compulsively detailed images invite an extended gaze that both informs the reader and invites [them] to participate in Sacco’s practice of ethical witnessing.” Sacco does not shy away from exposing his interpretation of the mainstream journalism happening in Goražde at the time and his choice to expose Goražde in a less conventional way . On page 130 he demonstrates how quickly the reporters and photographers are in and out of Goražde in less than a day. I think Sacco’s style demonstrates sincerity; he is not looking for a quick story to report amidst the hype, but rather a deeper understanding as an “ethical witness” (Kartalopoulos, 2002).

Throughout the novel Sacco includes himself, and in a speech at the Walker Art Centre, he emphasises that it “makes it clear to the reader that [we] are seeing things though [his] eyes.” Paradoxically, we never actually see his eyes which are hidden behind the glare of his spectacles. Again Kartalopoulos suggests that “Sacco’s point of view is inscribed onto every page… always [appearing], signaling his involvement in the events being depicted even as he frames those experiences after the fact.” Being visible in his novel grants him a freedom to express his own emotions and show his humanness; and he does.  In a not-so- pleasant encounter on page 192 with a Bosnian man, he is accused of failing to mention the “6 Thousand Killed [in] Srebrenica” and Sacco depicts himself uncomfortably in the corner and he openly says, “I wanted to be put a hundred thousand miles between me and Bosnia, between me and these horrible disgusting people and their fucking wars and pathetic prospects.” I think instead of excluding himself from his novel he creates a trustworthy platform for his work which contributes to the authority I think he has to tell the story of others.