Star Wars fan art by unknown artist.
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This painting is in poor taste and is very disrespectful. Let me explain. This memorial pictured is very similar to the Vietnam War Memorial by Maya Lin, which honors those who died in that conflict. The artist taints that image of sacrifice and nobility with the overt reference to a malevolent force (Darth Vader and the “bad guys” of the Star Wars series). Regardless of one’s opinion of the morality of American involvement in that conflict, and regardless of the intent of the artist, this appears disrespectful of the memories of the soldiers. Is this image well rendered? Of course. But the semiotics displayed here are a slap in the face of an entire generation that was forced into battle. I don’t wish to offend the artist, or the editors of this site, but I would like to remind both parties that images have meaning.
Thank you,
Peter McVey
Well done.
Peter:
It is understandable that you or anyone else may get disturbed by this pic “if” they compare it with the Vietnam War Memorial.
But this is the artist’s imagination, a fan’s imagination. No doubt the idea is entirely not his, but as Star Wars presents us with an alternate universe, this picture shows how it would have been, how it can be, in that world.
Apart from that, this takes out entirely different side of Darth Wader, showcasing him feeling down and defeated and remembering his soldiers. How the entire war may have been for him? This is a novel idea and the artist must be complimented for that. The way DW is looking down, and his soldiers looking at him from the other side of the wall, shows lot of emotions.
Though I agree that if the man standing beside them is removed, it would have looked much less offensive.
Not cool at all. Darth Vader was a fictional mass murderer. You mock the very real sacrifices made by thousands of Americans who to this day die to protect your freedoms, no matter where you are from or where you live.
Just brilliant.
This is absolutely hilarious, and actually a lot more profound than meets the eye. I chose to interpret this piece as a great piece of ironic humor, and a really astute social commentary on America’s obsession/worship of warfare. While Darth Vader and the Empire are fictional, they were represented on screen by real human beings in a realistic conflict, yet we celebrated along with Luke Skywalker and the Rebellion when the Death Star blew to bits (along with the entirety of its crew). I look at this piece and it makes me think about the absolute madness of war, while reminding me not to take life too seriously. I think it’s really shortsighted to entertain any notions that the artist was being disrespectful to men and women who died in action. If anything, this is a tribute to any who lose their lives so tragically, regardless of their affiliation.
But it is the Vietnam War Memorial. Observe. http://soldiersupportproject.org/Honorary_Hero_s.html
It is a direct allusion.
I think the art is awesome. Period.
@Peter McVey: For some people the American Army is seen as “the bad guys”. It’s all about perspective.
@MrSatyre: As I said before, is all about perspective. For some nations, the Americans are seen as mass murderers. And I would say it’s not about “protect your freedoms”, its more about protect the “american interests”.
If you are offended by this, you’re looking too deep – or simply looking for a reason to be offended.
Either grow up – or… no, that’s all really… just grow up.
Great image, but I like the original more :)
@MrSatyre & Peter McVey
To protect your freedom? From what? Who attacked you? Your government at that time attacked and invaded another country. At that time US were aggressors just like Darth Vader, fighting for some idiotic reason… R.I.P. dead soldiers who died in vain.
This image is obviously something that a lot of people would find offensive and upsetting, but I think that to take it as a direct attack against the Vietnam War Memorial is completely out of context; it’s a fan made piece of art that is not necessarily meant to be taken too seriously. Too often people get too touchy about war and similar subjects, and are unable to remove themselves from the context, which I think this image does.
Also, those Americans of which you spoke, MrSatyre, were not the only ones who suffered in the Vietnam war, and they aren’t the ones still suffering from it’s repercussions. I could go into depth about this, but if you know anything about Vietnam and it’s surrounding countries, you’ll know that they haven’t recovered from the violence perpetrated against them, while America has gone on to flourish.
Just a thought.
I agree with IDuDe: it’s subversive, human and emotional. The reference (if there is one) to the Vietnam War Memorial just makes it even more powerful as an alternative take on soldierhood and politics.
If you pause to think more deeply about it you won’t be suffocated by your own bigotry (P and Mr.S).
I only wish we knew who the artist is.
ähmm…why are there so many difrent names?
i thought the stormtroopers of the empire are all clones of the bountyhunter Jango Fett :D
btw i like it. very humoristic and cool.
Fantastic. Jeez people are fragile though right? If you don’t like it go suck your thumb and cuddle up to your blanky. No one cares if you are offended, you have that right but that’s it.
Great artwork, the emotion is palpable :).
@1980
Most of the clones would have been too old by the time of the death star’s destruction. The Empire would have been in full swing by then, so all they had to do was get young men from whatever planets they controlled, since they didn’t have to be secret about building an army any more.
Relax people.
Art is art, the vision of the artist, try not to take it personal, we don’t have to love every piece of art we see.
:)
OK.. some might say its offensive to the american soldiers who died in vietnam.. when in that same way.. think about the vietnam people who died protecting their land, their lives and their families.. think how they might have .. & how they moved on.. so you say now this is offensive??? .. War itself is an offense to human life.. were all soldiers are victims.. now matter the contrie or the party they fought for.. and the only victors are the ones who have their interest on it.. & that never were at field of fighting. GreaT PICTURE
Ok i can give a fiewpoint of both artist and daugther of a viat nam vet/starwaers fan..
1. Artist: Art is wonderful, took some thought in to seeing what vader would think about if he looked at his men as lives that in anyway was conneted to or had a relationship with seeing them byond that of just a soldier.
2. I can see where it can offend, being a daughter of a vet you atupmatically know that it is that of the viet nam memorial and in lots of ways can be considdered in bad tatste.. but there again so are the jackwagons protesting at soldiers funerals..
3. S.W. Fan: Its another view of seeing vader as human.. he once loved, so why could he not in secret care for the lost comrades that he had amongst the fleet?
I agree Txus, you can not take it personally, those that are offended, point it in the right direction of the here and now and get the protesters away from causing more pain to the ones lost. ALSO to the ones that just like to spoutoff… i give you a plain old STFU.. I support my troops, my friends and family that are fighting a war that you yourselves dont have the courage to stepforth and fight for your country. Before u attack, i too do my part as i sit on base now. Good luck, Artist: keep up the good work, but watch the sinsitivity that may be there.. the nam soldiers are suffering still, i have seen it and still do see it on a day to day basis.
Art that doesn’t offend at least someone isn’t really art.
Great piece, keep it up.
ITS PATHETIC! ITS DISRESPECTFUL! ITS PLAIN STUPID! AND ALL YOU STUPID PUNKS OF TODAY SHOULD BE FORCED TO JOIN THE ARMY SO YOU CAN LEARN THE WORDS, HONOR AND RESPECT AND I WILL THROW IN CLASS! YOU PUNKS OF TODAY WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT ANY OF THOSE WORDS MEAN, LET ALONE LIVE BY THEM. BUT THATS THIS PATHETIC GENERATION! WHEN ALL YOU PUNKS DIE, YOU WILL LEARN RESPECT REAL FAST, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!
Mark, check your caps lock mate. It’s a great piece of art and should be taken as no more. I’m sure it wasn’t meant to offend, channel your energy into sometime more useful then spouting generic insults at an anonymous artist, and a whole generation, like maybe work for a charity to help war vets if that’s what you’re so passionate about. I would be a waste of life to put every kid in the army. You know many of them couldn’t survive and it would stifle the next generation of artists and scientists who would never get to go to college or improve the world with their skills because believe it or not brute strength is only worth so much. I respect veterans as much as the next guy but people like you need to realize that war is an ugly thing and what those soldiers did was not really a good thing. They deserve respect for being braver than most of us will ever be, not because they helped with the war.
Peter Mcvey. You are a douche. That is all.
Is this a direct allusion to Vietnam? Maybe. Would it be justified? Perhaps. If you know anything about the Vietnam War, you should then know that it should be considered a low point in our military history. It was a war fought on false pretenses, did nothing to further the interests of the United States or protect its people, resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands in a conflict that the vast majority of Americans know almost nothing about. No one puts it into its proper colonial context, no one talks about the first Vietnam war, when it was between France and Vietnam and was a war of independence and freedom, which Americans should value more than anyone. And if Vietnam had become completely communist, the only thing that would have been threatened was British interests in the islands south of the Indo-Chinese peninsula.
I’d love it if people could give me a good reason why we should honor the Vietnam War, or why we should have fought it. Now don’t get me wrong, I completely respect U.S. Troops, even if I may disagree with US Military policies. And I don’t think this art really applies to them specifically. Either way, I don’t think it’s worth it to look far into this. This might just be a work from an artist who made a poor choice in model monuments.
Also, I’d love it if all the people who tell people to show more respect could hear themselves. America is supposed to be the land of the free, and soldiers fight and die to protect that freedom (sometimes.) I think the highest respect we can give them is respecting that which they protect: freedom of opinion. You don’t have to like people’s viewpoints, but you should respect or at least tolerate them, and not launch into ridiculous tirades.
Wow! It´s a gift for The Star Wars lovers. Congrats
You all need to calm down. The people saying it is disrespectful are being disrespectful towards the artist and towards art itself. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces of art out there that share a similar aspect as this one that are more disrespectful in someone’s eyes than the next’s. No matter how hard you bitch and moan, or how load your caps lock and be it’s never going to change. So get over it and grow the fuck up!
Because of the age we live in; the Age of the Internet, once something is posted on a site like this it is then shared to everyone who has internet access across the world. So things can not be undone was done. People must either return to the bottom side of the rock they live under or deal with it. It’s better to deal with it now then cover it up with some bullshit excuse you manufactured in your head.
As for the men and women of the armed forces past, present and future, I give you all the respect in the world. With out them we might not even have a country that allows us to have the freedoms we take for granted.
So if you have a problem with it then why doesn’t your pansy ass fight for your country, your freedoms and your beliefs?!
Thank you Tom. Yours was perhaps the most sane response I’ve seen here today.
This piece is art in a form more often seen in the modern age. One that is highly open to interpretation. For those of you that didn’t read his comment or don’t know your history the Vietnam War was perhaps the last gasp of European Imperialism. A gasp America sadly took part to prolong. When you looking at this piece try to remember the change that took place at the end of the series. Vader was redeemed. I imagine it is this Vader looking back at senseless war in a cause he once believed in. It is something that comes to all men and is captured here, and in the picture it is based upon.
This is not disrespectful, and as for all the “valor, DUTY, and honor”… there is none.. espeacialy when the war shouldnt have even been in the first place. This is funny.. and awesome art. Vietnam was a joke.. and a scenceless waste of human life. You need to realise that not EVERYONE shares your view about the Military or War in general. This is ART.. who cares what others think, its about expressing what you want to express.. one’s mind braught to “life”. Suck it up buttercup; you dont like it? Well, too bad.
This is a great peice of art, and is pretty funny as well.
In Star Wars, Vader was a mass murdering fuckhead who wasted thousands of his soldier’s lives over a conflict that need never have happened.
In real life, America was a bunch of mass murdering fuckheads who wasted hundreds of soldier’s lives in a conflict that need never have happened.
Seeing a similarity yet?
This is a good piece of art and points out something Americans quite often forget, and that is that Nam was a mistake on their part, and they handled it badly. It is in fact the source of most of the resentment to the US from most other countries.
I am an American and I know plenty of veterans from various wars. I don’t see this as disrespectful. While I can see how you might think of it as disrespect, it truly wasn’t meant to. To the guy who said that the “pathetic generation” needs to be forced into war to experience it, really? You think having a draft for no reason at all would make people get offended by a single image? I think that you really need to get out a bit more. This is a great image and shows the flaws in great plans. To whomever the artist is, keep up the good work.
great pic.
There are two sides to every war and it is silly to think that one side had greater brotherhood than the other.
And for those who feel it offends – even in the original art, the image was meant to portray feelings of regret and loss. And the image does the same thing in a fictional context. The fundamental concept of the image, loss of brothers in a war, remains intact.
the rest is artistic freedom and you should live with it. Or at least have the decency to put your point across in a calm and reasoned voice.
Honoring the dead is someone that everyone does, and everyone should respect, whatever side you’re on. Also, what if instead of portraying the US as evil, what if this is portraying Darth Vader as a sympathetic character? I see no problem with that.
I like it
I see why it’s offensive. For those who have fought for our country, it parodies a monument to their sacrifice, a sacrifice that (specific to Viet Nam) was not supported at home. To say it’s great art is a stretch, it’s cartoonish at best. Some may find it funny, or cool because they’re Star Wars fans, or just like the parody. That’s somewhat ironic, since the character of Vader would never mourn fallen troops, which makes this somewhat akin to doing a parody of Hitler or other mass-murderer mourning the loss of the implements of their acts.
The artist has an absolute right to create it, and to offend whomever they want. Artistic freedom, regardless of the quality of execution, should remain intact. I may not like what someone says, but I will defend their right to say it, since it also my right to point out what is wrong with what they say. But if you don’t think it’s offensive to those who have done more for the country than most, then I would say you need to spend some time talking to a veteran.
Great art. It succeeded in getting lots of emotional response from people on either side, pro or con. The fact that Peter McVey was so touched by it is a testament to its success. You may hate this art because of what you interpret it to be but that is only one of many interpretations.
Nobody likes to go to war or sacrifice a son or brother for an insane/inane cause. But some wars were fought so you and I can be here discussing about it. If we can avoid wars, then let us talk and resolve our differences. Because ultimately, nobody wins a war. And the worst, ordinary people (like us) from both sides, and not the generals and presidents, are the biggest losers because they are the ones who get to sacrifice their lives.
Hahaha! Love this. You don’t believe the Imperials would have memorials to the honored dead, if only to whip up sentiment against the Rebels?
Actually, this reminded me a lot of the old computer game “TIE Fighter” where you played as an Imperial pilot. It was an interesting headspace to get into, where you began to really believe you were in the right, fighting the forces of disorder and anarchy.
The rebels attacked the empire. Hence the word “rebel.” They started the war, not the empire. So if you’re going to blame anyone for the countless deaths, blame them.
This goes to show that not only the winning side needs a memorial. For the poster that said “regardless of one’s opinion of America’s involvement in :&*)% war, it’s offensive.” Think of the other side. Guaranteed they have a different view no matter how innocent you feel or they feel . Great piece of art!