Beginning with the earliest pilots, the practice of painting some sort of "mascot" to go along with a plane's name became popular. Most were painted by artistically untrained American servicemen with limited supplies. Frequently, the images were taken from wives or girlfriends, but many were copies of the famed Esquire artist, Alberto Vargas. Other images were taken from cartoon strip characters and horoscope images. This personalization gave strength and personality to an inanimate object and to the crew it guarded. It became a symbol of the dedicated atmosphere that existed among crew members. Aviation nose art preserves the memories of a generation of great patriotism and courage, juxtaposed to personal loss and nation victory.