Roy Lichtenstein through the eyes of cartoonist Claudio Marinaccio

In an interview for Artribune's series pairing contemporary cartoonists with 20th-century artists, Italian cartoonist Claudio Marinaccio discusses Roy Lichtenstein's legacy. Lichtenstein (1923-1997) was a leading Pop Art figure known for appropriating comic strips and advertising imagery, using Ben Day dots and large-scale paintings like WHAAM!, In The Car, and Drowning Girl. Born in New York, he studied at the Art Students League and Ohio University, influenced by Hoyt Sherman. Marinaccio praises Lichtenstein for merging decorative aesthetics with narrative depth, describing his work as both popular and elitist. He notes Lichtenstein's use of Ben Day dots (patented 1879) as a precursor to digital pixels and halftone screens in comics. Marinaccio argues Lichtenstein elevated comics to fine art, deserving gratitude from cartoonists. The interview also references Lichtenstein's early influences from Cubism and Expressionism, seen in his 1956 lithograph Ten Dollar Bill, and his shift to cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse before his mature style emerged around 1960.