Traversing ruins: Kristen Radtke's post-apocalyptic dark tours in Imagine Wanting Only This

Kristen Radtke's graphic memoir Imagine Wanting Only This (2017) visually chronicles the author's journeys through post-apocalyptic sites including abandoned cities, derelict landscapes, and architectural ruins in order to process the grief over the loss of her uncle and to confront her re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of graphic novels & comics 2024-03, Vol.15 (2), p.221-235
Main Authors: Soman, Namitha, Krishna, Swathi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autobiographical literature
Dark tourism
death
Death & dying
Graphic novels
Grief
Historic buildings & sites
Imagine Wanting Only This
Kristen Radtke
Radtke, Kristen
ruins
Tourism
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:Kristen Radtke's graphic memoir Imagine Wanting Only This (2017) visually chronicles the author's journeys through post-apocalyptic sites including abandoned cities, derelict landscapes, and architectural ruins in order to process the grief over the loss of her uncle and to confront her recurrent thoughts on mortality. Diagnosed with a fatal heart condition that catapults her into reflections on the transience of human existence, Radtke seeks answers by engaging in a series of dark tours to find physical manifestations of her inner turmoil amidst deserted cities and modern ruins. This essay examines how Radtke treads complex subjects of loss, angst, and death through nuanced visual storytelling while associating her vulnerable body with the dilapidated structures she explores. It further investigates how ruins as transitional spaces that simultaneously evoke recollections of a catastrophic past as well as the hope of human endurance offer avenues of self-reflection for the grieving protagonist, aiding her to successfully navigate her grief and overcome her anxieties.
ISSN:2150-4857
2150-4865
DOI:10.1080/21504857.2023.2249537