A thousand words’ worth

‘Human beings are attracted more towards images than to words’.

LAHORE:

Comic journalism has its limitations and advantages. Comic writers have more freedom to convey their stance. However, they face dire consequences when, for example, a pun is not taken lightly, said speakers at the session titled: The Incredible World of Comic Journalism in the Lahore Literature Festival.

The session was moderated by journalist Shaimaa Khalil.

Joe Sacco, an American cartoonist and journalist, said that human beings were visual creatures and were attracted more to images than words.

“I always want to get to the point. I wanted to tell stories that would not make people fall asleep. So I got into this profession,” said Sacco.

Cartoonist Sabir Nazar said: “It is a lot more difficult to hear someone talking in a low voice over the phone than hearing them in person. That is because we can see their expressions and lip movement. This makes it easier for us to understand what they say.”

Also, he said, some things could not be described in words. “It is high time we started hiring graphic journalists in papers and started giving graphics more space,” he said.

Rabih Alameddine, Lebanese-American painter and writer, said that cartoonists had the ability to say on one page what a writer would use several pages to convey. “Comics and cartoons are different from writings only in the way they are presented. The spirit of both genres of communication is more or less the same,” said Alameddine.

Referring to the scope of comic journalism in Pakistan, Nazar said that the list of “don’ts” was getting longer in Pakistan. “I like to accept the challenge. I say things in the most subtle way possible,” he said.

To a question about freedom of expression, Alameddine, said: “We should be troubled when it endangers the lives of those working with us.

It was unfair and intolerant of the attackers to kill people in Paris. However, those cartoons were in bad taste and totally unnecessary,” Alameddine said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2015.