Palestine (comics)

Palestine (comics)
Palestine 2001 Cover
Creator	Joe Sacco
Date	2001 (originally collected in two volumes in 1996)
Page count	285 pages
Publisher	Fantagraphics
Original publication
Published in	Palestine
Issues	1-9
Date of publication	Feb. 1993 – Oct. 1995
Language	English
ISBN	(hardcover)

Palestine is a non-fiction graphic novel written and drawn by Joe Sacco about his experiences in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in December 1991 and January 1992. Sacco's portrayal of the situation emphasizes the history and plight of the Palestinian people, as a group and as individuals.

The complete graphic novel, published in 2001 by Fantagraphics Books, collects nine issues of Sacco's Palestine comic book, published by Fantagraphics from 1993–1995; the single volume edition includes an introduction by Edward Said. In 1996, Fantagraphics had released a two-part collection of the series — Palestine, a Nation Occupied (collecting Palestine #1-5) and Palestine: In the Gaza Strip (collecting issues #6-9). An expanded edition was released in 2007.

The book takes place over a two-month period in late 1991 / early 1992, with occasional flashbacks to the expulsion of the Arabs, the beginning of the Intifada, the Gulf War and other events in the more immediate past. Sacco spent this time meeting with Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the narrative focuses on the minute details of everyday life in the occupied territories, presenting the daily struggles, humiliations and frustrations of the Palestinians.

Sacco’s visit to Israel and the occupied territories is presented chronologically, from his arrival to his departure, through dramatic scenes with only a handful of diversions to present the historical and personal background. Most of the scenes in the book are conversations between Sacco and Palestinians, and though the events they talk about are presented visually the dialogue is always present as a form of narration for the events.

Sacco devotes whole pages to drawings of the destitution and squalor prevalent in the occupied territories. Though Sacco is the principal narrator at times he steps aside and allows other characters to present their stories uninterrupted and without interpretation. In his drawings, though most of the panels are presented as a “side view” of Sacco, other characters and their surroundings, there are several panels which present the scene as it looks from Sacco’s point of view. There are also panels which present a bird’s eye view of places like the refugee camps or Jerusalem.