Roy Lichtenstein Fan

Roy Lichtenstein was an American Pop artist whose work was as popular as fellow artist Andy Warhol. While he had a wide range of styles, he is best remembered for creating many paintings that were inspired by comic book panels.

The earliest of these paintings were first shown in 1961, and they were greeted by some critics with great hostility. Detractors said that they were banal and lacked originality, and some even said they simply ripped off existing work. While many of these paintings seem, at a glance, to be straightforward comic panels, they are in fact more stylized versions of the work that inspired them.

Throughout the twentieth century is was common for art to include references to popular culture, but the paintings of Roy Lichtenstein took this to new levels. The style and subject matter of his comic strip paintings are more than just referential; they dominate the canvases entirely. Some critics said that in addition to a lack of originality these paintings suggested little of the artist's inner life and feeling.

Many find it surprising to learn that in his youth, Roy Lichtenstein was not especially fond of comic books. Based on his best-known works, most take it for granted that he was, and that his work represents an homage to the genre. He actually started his art career as a Cubist and Abstract Expressionist, and cartoon characters did not begin to appear in his work until the late 1950s.

Chasity Shanelle Brewer is a San Francisco business consultant and comic book enthusiast who enjoys the work of Roy Lichtenstein. She owns several prints of his work, including copies of "Drowning Girl," and "Whaam!", the latter of which is the artist's most famous painting.

The Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang remains one of the most popular automobiles ever produced by an American automaker. It is not a particularly exotic car, but it retains a powerful hold on the imaginations of millions of automotive enthusiasts.

 The first Ford Mustang was introduced in 1964. Among those credited with developing its design is Lee Iacocca, then a Ford Vice President and later the Chairman and CEO of the Chrysler Corporation. In many ways the Mustang was driven by a stroke of marketing genius. The company was well aware that the biggest wave of baby boomers was about to come of age, and the automaker wagered that they would want vehicles that were unlike anything that had ever been seen before.

 The first generation of Mustangs shared much of its engineering with the Ford Falcon, which Ford did in order to keep its production costs down and thus make it more affordable for consumers. The two vehicles were even produced at the same manufacturing plant in Dearborn, Michigan. The Mustang was an instant hit.

For the 1967 model year the Mustang underwent a major redesign. It became somewhat larger and more powerful than its predecessors, which Ford deemed a necessity in order to keep up with competing vehicles such as the Mercury Cougar and the Chevy Camaro muscle car. Other changes to the 1967 Mustang included such design features as side scoops painted to match the color of the car, instead of being chrome plated as in earlier models, and a different front end. The Mustang's popularity continued.

Today the earliest generations of Mustangs remain sought-after items for many car enthusiasts. One of them is Chasity Shanelle Brewer, a business consultant in San Francisco. She is the proud owner of a mint condition 1967 Mustang and enjoys keeping its engine running in tip top condition.