
| BIG HOG Above Bagana 56” x 42” Original Air-brushed Acrylic Painting VF-17 became operational on January 1, 1943. Led by Capt. “Tom” Blackburn, the “Jolly Rogers” squadron blazed its way across Pacific skies to 154½ victories in only 76 days of combat, setting the standard for Naval fighters that few have matched! In this dramatic recreation, the first kill of double-ace Tom Blackburn is masterfully painted by the artist, Joe Szady. On November 1, 1943, 18 Vals escorted by 12 Zeros fly toward our invasion forces landing at Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville. Above an eerily smoldering Mt. Bagana, eight VF-17 F4U- 1A Corsairs race towards the sun to gain height before turning back on their prey. Capt. Tom Blackburn then dives out of that early morning sun onto the tail of a Zero and blasts it out of the sky, flying through the fireball for his first of eleven kills. “What a sensation!” Sadly, Cdr. Tom Blackburn is no longer with us, so this lithograph, researched over a two year period with the “Skipper”, is a valuable piece of aviation history. • 300 (33” x 25”) Premium Limited Edition Lithographs, signed by the artist, Cdr. John “Tom” Blackburn (deceased), and seven other VF-17 WWII pilots - 1200 (33” x 25”) Studio Edition Lithographs, signed by the Artist - Giclée Giclée prints are also offered by the artist. These ultra high-resolution, high- fidelity reproductions use the highest pigmented inks and print virtually continuous tone, using a special 44” wide printer. Only archival, acid-free paper or actual primed artist’s canvas is used. This process allows your print to appear as close to Joseph’s original painting as technically possible. They are painstakingly produced one at a time to ensure quality and match the original colors and tones of the original. Canvas Giclée reproductions appear so close to the original creation that it is difficult to tell them apart. While properly displayed, they are guaranteed not to fade for over 80 years. • 32” x 24” archival paper giclee • 48” x 36” artist’s canvas |