Powell’s top floor was standing room only last night by the time I showed up for war reporting cartoonist Joe Sacco‘s appearance. Sacco’s newest book, Footnotes in Gaza, has blitzed the media from here to New York to the UK but I was still surprised to see such a packed house for in his hometown. The crowd has refreshingly diverse—older gray-haired couples squeezed in next to adolescent comic nerds and Portland State students.
And what did Sacco do with this large and captive audience? He gave them a history lesson. Powerpoint presentation on the wall behind him, Sacco began, “Israel declared independence in 1948…”
It’s funny seeing Sacco in person because he looks so different than his drawings. In his comic books, Sacco is a chubby, floundering comic relief character with only glasses for eyes. But in real life, he’s articulate, collected and skinny. I asked my friend and illustrator John Isaacson to sketch what Sacco actually looks like:
I waited through the entire book signing line (which was an hour and 45 minutes long, since Sacco very politely took a couple minutes to talk with each person who wanted an autograph) and showed Sacco the sketch. He brushed it off and drew a more accurate picture of himself:
Glasses and sweat beads or not, Sacco’s a stand-up guy.
Did you take notes with your new pen? Curious minds, you know.