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Art-e86 โ€” WHAAMSKI

Published: 2012-03-03 03:33:48 +0000 UTC; Views: 429; Favourites: 4; Downloads: 5
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Description In 1963, Roy Lichtenstein created a, destined to become world famous, masterpiece called "WHAAM!". It appears to be a depiction of a friendly fire incident that took place during the (Korean?) war as both planes appear to be depictions of F-86 Sabres (although the American plane also looks like a late model Mustang). Note the low tailplane and single air intake of the WHAAMed plane in Roy's original [link]

Incidently, the original comic frame from which Roy took his idea (DC Comics "All-American Men of War") does show a MiG-15 being WHAAMed by an F-86 Sabre - the plane types are quite definite in the original DC comic of 1962 - the WHAAMed Russky even has a split air-intake and high tail section a-la a MiG-15 Fagot of 1950's vintage.

So a few things crossed my mind

a) The now declassified communications between the North Koreans, Russians and the Chinese during the Korean War clearly show that nearly all (if not REALLY all) of the North Korean pilots were in fact Russian - and bloody good Russian pilots at that - see my drawing of Ivan Kozhedub for more info
b) It's been more than 40 years since Roy produced his enormous piece of Pop art and in all those 40 years (as far as I know) no-one has ever sought to redress the balance.
c) We all like the Russians again, the cold war's over and there are other people in the world now to dislike and distrust - so I say crack open a Vodka, string your Balaliaka, dust off your Dostoyevsky and party till the Yaks come home.
d) Last but not least it's a chance to make an idiot of myself with my crappy Russian - okay so it was Google translate, so don't blame me. If any Russian speakers would like to correct any mistakes in the Russian - no profanities please, I will check ALL suggestions - any of those that don't feel offended by my effort anyway. Roy (sorry Mr. Lichtenstein's estate will probably try to litigate for the rest of the world - ho hum!!

Anyway - Enjoy if you like.

P.S. Done on the wonderful and refreshingly free GIMP.
P.P.S. The Yellow Background callout should say

"I PRESSED THE FIRE CONTROL AND AHEAD OF ME CANNONS BLAZED THROUGH THE SKY" (The MiG-15 didn't have rockets, they had cannons) I think it actually says ""I PRESSED THE FIRE CONTROL AND AHEAD OF ME GUNS BLAZED THROUGH THE SKY"

The White Background callout should say

"THE ENEMY HAS BECOME A FLAMING STAR" but I think it says "THE ENEMY WAS FLAMING STAR" - which sounds better to me.

Not meant to glorify war in any way shape or form - just there to be looked at, liked, disliked etc.

Rev 1 - Added second cannon fire flashes
Rev 2 - Added this link to Roy Lichtenstein on Wikipedia [link]
Rev 3 - Added link to WHAAM! in text and here [link] because the link in the text didn't work
Rev 4 - Added third cannon fire flash (another to farside)
Rev 5 - Following a better translation with the help of ~Shia-Rina I have submitted "WHAAMSKI!-TWO-SKI" as an updated version (Version 2.00)
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Comments: 17

Shia-Rina [2012-07-26 12:55:24 +0000 UTC]

Your Russian, and the truth is not very good)

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Art-e86 In reply to Shia-Rina [2012-07-27 20:43:10 +0000 UTC]

My Russian is non existent ... as for the truth, please explain.

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Shia-Rina In reply to Art-e86 [2012-07-28 08:59:39 +0000 UTC]

how to say it in Russian?

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Art-e86 In reply to Shia-Rina [2012-07-29 23:01:53 +0000 UTC]

Yes please - correct my bad Russian.

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Shia-Rina In reply to Art-e86 [2012-07-30 09:14:00 +0000 UTC]

I think so)

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Shia-Rina In reply to Art-e86 [2012-07-30 09:13:51 +0000 UTC]

I PRESSED THE FIRE CONTROL AND AHEAD OF ME CANNONS BLAZED THROUGH THE SKY

THE ENEMY HAS BECOME A FLAMING STAR
-------------------------------------
ะฏ ะะะ–ะะ› ะฃะŸะ ะะ’ะ›ะ•ะะ˜ะ• ะžะ“ะะะœ, ะ˜ ะŸะฃะจะšะ˜ ะŸะ•ะ ะ•ะ”ะž ะœะะžะ™ ะ’ะซะกะขะ ะ•ะ›ะ˜ะ›ะ˜ ะ’ ะะ•ะ‘ะž!
ะ’ะ ะะ“ ะกะขะะ› ะŸะซะ›ะะฎะฉะ•ะ™ ะ—ะ’ะ•ะ—ะ”ะžะ™! - Ya nazjal upravlenie oghyom, i pushki peredo mnoi vistrelili v nebo! Vrag stal pilauyshei zvezdoi!

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Art-e86 In reply to Shia-Rina [2012-07-30 13:39:23 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much.

I will now update "WHAAMSKI" and dedicate it to you.

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megalobo [2012-03-06 13:59:53 +0000 UTC]

" We all like the Russians again, the cold war's over and there are other people in the world now to dislike and distrust - so I say crack open a Vodka..."
Cool! I especially liked the part of opening a bottle of Vodka! Stolichnaya i presume? Amazing work my friend!

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Art-e86 In reply to megalobo [2012-03-06 19:28:54 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much Megalobo. Coming from the line-master, that is praise indeed.

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megalobo In reply to Art-e86 [2012-05-08 12:47:58 +0000 UTC]

My pleasure!

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truemouse [2012-03-03 10:34:07 +0000 UTC]

What it really says is "Meanwhile, in the 38th Parallel over Sariwon . . ."

"Get off my lawn!"

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Art-e86 In reply to truemouse [2012-03-03 12:12:58 +0000 UTC]

Nice one.

What it REALLY says is :-

"After his success with Operation Chromite, MacArthur considers his next Korea move" (I can feel another poster coming on....thinks....)

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truemouse In reply to truemouse [2012-03-03 10:36:15 +0000 UTC]

Totally missed the part about the Russian pilots. Just saw the North Korean roundels.

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Art-e86 In reply to truemouse [2012-03-03 12:22:31 +0000 UTC]

.....and thanks for the fave by the way. Nice one.

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Art-e86 In reply to truemouse [2012-03-03 12:20:33 +0000 UTC]

Apparently all was not what it seems - the American pilots had an inkling that the "North Korean" pilots were better than they should be and that the only obvious conclusion was that Russia was supplying more than just the MiG's.

All the Russian military personnel during the Korean war had code-names (including Stalin) and the Russian pilots carried a cyanide pill (allegedly) with instructions that they were not, under any circumstances, to be taken alive.

There is also one account of a Russian pilot deliberately shooting up a downed MiG and pilot that had crash landed in order that there would be no survivor. How true this is I do not know.

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superHyperjellyBean [2012-03-03 04:02:34 +0000 UTC]

I read the comment "We all like Russians again" and thought to myself when we didn't. Then I realized the cold war and America and thought "oh yes, they weren't on such good terms then."

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Art-e86 In reply to superHyperjellyBean [2012-03-03 11:47:54 +0000 UTC]

Hi SuperHyper, thanks for commenting.

Yes, there was a stage just after WWII when old allies became new enemies, and old enemies became new allies.
The East and West hid themselves away from each other behind iron and bamboo curtains, and ne'er the twain shall meet ... until recently. The Berlin wall comes tumbling down, Russia embraces Glasnost and (almost) embraces democracy....etc. etc.

We live (as always) in hope.

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