Roy Lichtenstein borrowed from the world of comic strips for both inspiration and technique in producing the Pop Art with which he has become synonymous. He created his inimitable works by reproducing a commercial printing technique known as Ben-Day Dots and appropriating cartoon images from popular culture. <br><br>Accusations of plagiarism and blandness initially cast doubt over his legitimacy, but Lichtenstein recognised a substance to these cartoon images: representing as they did, popular culture in an accessible format.<br><br>Lichtenstein was intrigued that a seemingly simplistic art form had the capacity to convey complex and emotive stories with such poignant effect. He explored this theme by taking existing cartoon images and cropping and mutating them to subtly alter their meaning. <br><br>Lichtenstein created <em>Drowning Girl</em><sup>1</sup> (1963) by cropping and enhancing a detail from a comic strip. He created impact by strengthening the black outlines in the image and by extending the colour range using stencilled dots: mimicking the Ben-Day Dot technique used by the comic book printers of the day. He also altered the text in the image, further obscuring the links to the original.<br><br>Lichtenstein’s curiosity about the complexities of the cartoon genre allowed him to create impactful art. By subtly adapting existing work, he could create a dramatically new and original message: firmly contradicting the lack of originality asserted by his early critics.<br>