Roy Lichtenstein's "As I Opened Fire" is a landmark triptych that appropriates a comic book panel depicting a military confrontation, magnifying the source material through bold primary colors, Ben Day dots, and stark black outlines characteristic of his signature style. Created in 1966 during the Vietnam War era, the work transforms pulp imagery into high art while simultaneously critiquing American militarism and consumer culture through its deadpan formal treatment. The repetition of this image across multiple editions since its publication underscores Lichtenstein's interest in mass production and mechanical reproduction as artistic strategies.