The Book Club Joe Sacco: The Once and Future Riot
Apr 15, 2026
Joe Sacco, reporter-cartoonist known for documentary comics like Footnotes in Gaza, discusses returning to India to report on Hindu-Muslim violence. He describes finding the story, gaining trust, and how comics serve immersive journalism. He also talks about politics, misinformation in villages, censorship issues, and his recent Gaza oral histories.
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Local Vote Calculations Clash With National Politics
- State-level electoral calculations can conflict with national political trends, producing local decisions that inflame communal tensions.
- Uttar Pradesh politicians appeased a local Muslim voting bloc despite a broader rise in Hindu nationalism nationwide.
Being Called George Bush Broke The Ice
- Some villagers initially suspected Sacco as an American aligned with recent US policies, mockingly calling him George Bush.
- He defused suspicion by listening, agreeing with criticisms of the West, and showing readiness to learn.
Comics Create Continuous Immersion
- Comics enable continuous visual immersion in place and time, unlike prose which interrupts description to move on.
- Sacco uses background details and scenes to keep readers immersed in streets, traffic and atmosphere throughout the narrative.
