Informed by the centuries-old tradition of newspaper illustrations, but mainly reflecting the generic characteristics of the autobiographical graphic novel (and certainly inspired by its success), comics reportage developed at the intersection of journalistic practice and comics drawing. The genre became popular in both the North American Comics and the French-Belgian(-Swiss) bande dessinée tradition after the turn of the millennium.
Joe Sacco’s influential war report Palestine (1993) played a crucial role in the recognition and institutionalization of the genre. Indeed, the Maltese-born US comics journalist canonized certain characteristics of the genre through the impact of his reports on the Middle East and the Balkan Wars. Sacco’s work, although retaining some of the authentication procedures of conventional reporting, including references to real space and time, make a spectacular break with the norm of journalistic objectivity. The author-narrator-protagonist is, therefore, in a sense, an autobiographical reporter who draws himself into the narrative, and becomes a character and participant in the events. He reflects on the impressions, experiences, and feelings encountered during his field work, as well as on his own cultural background and biographical history. The latter feature also links the comic book report to autobiographical work. He observes, represents, and sometimes comments on everyday occurrences, and his conversations with local people are also “put on stage”.
Creating comics reportage presupposes both journalistic and cartoonist work and skills, and in the case of the autobiographical tradition (and the innovations heralded by Sacco) one person should possess all these skills. In a lecture, Swiss Francophone comics journalist Patrick Chappatte explained that his work in the field is similar to that of his traditional reporter role: he takes notes, conducts interviews and takes photographs.
