The Characteristics Of Sacco Safe Area Gorazde

Another characteristic of Sacco’s journalistic works is the role of guides. Sacco’s works are based on witness testimonies, which he gathers during his – usually short- field-trips to the target region. For this method to work Sacco relies on people to be his guide. But he looks for specific criteria in a person whom he chooses as his guide. on a basic level, Sacco’s guides are Local persons with a good command of English and their primary job is translating native language of the community ( Bosnian, Arabic, etc. ) to English and vice versa. But their role goes beyond translation. guides that Sacco choose know many people in the community, and being a local person themselves, can gain the trust of people, find witnesses and persuade them
Sacco describes Edin as ‘ a willing, good-natured, sure-footed guide’ who ‘seemed to know everyone…could smooth our way with police , municipality…makes necessary introductions…also knows good places to relax’ Edin, a university student, had to return to Gorazde at the outbreak of civil war and was teaching children of Gorazde and at the same time fighting in the front line . Edin’s warm and reassuring personality and his capabilities as a guide are reflected in Abed, Sacco’s chief guide in ‘footnotes in Gaza’; Generally speaking Abed sets people at ease about me…and answers raised eyebrows with a smooth and soon-to be-rote explanation about my obsession with '56. (Pn4) He is well known in the streets of his home-town, khan Yunis. He is educated, his family clan is respected. He is a patriot. He got a bullet in his leg while stoning an Israeli soldier when he was 13 or 14 years old. As well as knowing local people and helping Sacco in finding witnesses, Sacco’s guides usually help him assess if a witness is exaggerating, or even lying. In footnotes in Gaza, Sacco and Abed are analysing an interview with a witness and Sacco asks for his guide’s
Sacco is impressed and keen to follow Neven around and listen to his war stories.
p.25 As if by fate, I have found a master in the school of front-line truth…and the master has found a pupil
But Sacco also hears contradictory stories about Neven which makes him wonder if he is a reliable source for a journalist. On the one hand ‘salty warriors greet him on street’, and on the other hand, some people call him ‘a little crazy but a nice guy’ or a person with a big imagination. Once a journalist who used to be a fighter expresses his doubts over whether Neven has ever been a sniper. When Sacco asks him about a story Neven told Sacco about 4 tanks being blows up in a fight, the journalist calls a former comrade and they both dismiss Neven’s story:
Both of us were fighting at that time, and I’m telling you it didn’t happen! P.62 Sacco leaves the reader to wonder about the reliability of his guide-witness source throughout the story. It is only on the last page of the comic that Sacco reveals his own solution as a comic journalist to this damaging journalistic issue. He visits a reliable source to cross-examine the reliability of