Whether you consider As I Opened Fire a cheeky tribute to the comics or an abomination of fine art, it’s hard to deny its charm.

Lichtenstein’s acrylic is nothing if not eye-catching, making use of primary colors to mimic the appeal of comic book art. As I Opened Fire’s simple color scheme is combined with harsh black outlines and carefully plotted dots to loyally imitate its source material-- and royally piss off art critics. A 1964 LIFE magazine even ran an article about Lichtenstein’s unexpected success entitled “Is He the Worst Artist in the U.S.?” Bring up Lichtenstein’s name among comic enthusiasts, and they’ll criticize his unoriginality before you can say “intellectual property theft.”

Did Jerry Grandenetti ask for a Lichtenstein makeover of his original art in DC comic “Wingmate of Doom?” Probably not. Did Lichtenstein try particularly hard to credit the works he drew so heavily from? Negative. Should this surprise us? No-- Roy was, after all, an inspiration to love-him-or-hate-him king of kitsch, Jeff Koons. (Despite the many charms of golden kings of pop and giant floral canines, Koons is undeniably familiar with plagiarism lawsuits).

Lichtenstein’s comic depiction of the military seems to communicate a profound distaste for the futility of warfare. Roy himself, however, thought his audience looked too far into his message. He considered military criticism a secondary aim of his war-based works, distantly trailing his push to redefine American imagery.

As I Opened Fire is just one of Lichtenstein’s popular war paintings. Whaam!, featuring an airplane and a very vocal explosion, was likely a nod to the artist’s own years in the Army. The young talent served under comic book artist Irv Novick, and was charged with the noble, albeit disappointing, work of cleaning the toilet facilities. Enchanted by the young man’s artistic skill (or vastly disappointed by his performance with a mop), Novick hooked Lichtenstein up with a gig making posters. Lichtenstein’s repayment? Cashing big on Whaam!, an altered copy of Novick’s original art. Is imitation really the sincerest form of flattery, or did Irv deserve a bit more of a gift after rescuing Roy from years of sewage duty?