Tora by Lionus (2003)

... at 7:53 AM the attacker unexpectedly struck.

The idea for this picture came to me after watching the movie "Tora! Tora! Tora!" The title of the movie was the signal sent back to air attacker's headquarters by the lead pilot to indicate that complete suprize had been achieved. The word "Tora" is a Japanese word meaning "Tiger" and I could not think of anything more appropriate to symbolize the daring warriors springing their suprize aerial attack than tigers.

The usage of the rising sun flag as a background seemed not only appropriate to the dawn of that sunny December morning, but also suggestive of the attack's audacity with its boldly outward flowing red and white pattern.

"Tora" is the first posting of a long-term art/history project I am doing titled "World Aflame". I think it appropriate that this first posting of this expectedly long series should be posted on December 7th, the 62nd anniversary of the attack which plunged the USA into the already raging global conflagration that was the Second World War.

Pencil and Photoshop