Oldest Captive Orca Might be Returned to the Wild

Artist Statement

My poetry comic was inspired by the oldest captive orca, Corky, estimated to be around 60 years old, as well as the second oldest captive orca, Tokitae (a.k.a. Lolita), who died in captivity in 2023 at the estimated age of 57, shortly before she was scheduled to be returned to the wild. I draw from these real-life examples, taking seriously the emotional lives of animals when it comes to matters of captivity, rehabilitation, and release.

In my art, I distort and reimagine the body of a captive orca using a mixture of ballpoint pen, brush pens, collage, and found plant materials. The text is handwritten, scanned, and digitally arranged into dialogue balloons and captions. I use the recurring motif of hands to represent the impact of human intervention and control.

Animals risk getting caught up in romanticized narratives about wildness and captivity. While this romanticization can have practical benefits for conservation awareness, it can also diminish the needs of individuals like Corky and Tokitae, turning their experiences into a feelgood spectacle. Orcas have their own complex social structures, cultures, and dialects, complicating their reintroduction into the wild. In my poetry comic, I imagine the subjectivity of a released orca—not as part of a romanticized narrative, but as an individual reconnecting with an uncaring wilderness.

Kristin Emanuel holds an MFA in poetry from the University of Kansas where she studied eco-fabulism and the comics poetry movement. She is now a PhD candidate researching poetry and poetics at Washington University in St. Louis. Her latest work has appeared in Shenandoah, RHINO, Ecotone, and Blackbird. You can find a list of her selected publications at: KristinEmanuel.com.