The artist Roy Lichtenstein was inspired by American comics about war when he made this painting. Not only was he interested in the stories they told, but also in the way that comic books were produced. He carefully studied the way small dots of ink were printed close to each other to appear like large blocks of colour on the page. He was also fascinated by the way that bold lines, strong colours and text were used to depict powerful stories. Lichtenstein used these ideas to make this painting.

Whaam! Is currently on show at Tate Modern in the States of Flux wing on Level 5.