I am extremely concerned that the information we receive through most sources of media, whether it be health issues or otherwise, is compromised by outside interests. A good example is the relationship between pharmaceutical companies and the FDA, which, in my opinion, has become dysfunctional to the point of being dangerous.

This illustration was influenced by the statement "journalists become unwitting mouthpieces for incomplete, biased, and imbalanced news and information" (see Schwitzer commentary in this issue's PLoS Medicine Debate). What immediately came to mind was the image of a mechanical-looking journalist with an open door to his head, easily accessed by an escalator. I rendered this with graphite on paper, scanned it, and then began to flesh out and color the concept in Photoshop. I used jumbled scraps of medical information to create additional texture and add another layer of storytelling.

Before returning to school to get my B.F.A. with a major in Illustration, I was a songwriter, recording artist, and record producer. It was a natural transition to the visual arts, and my Fine Art painting is still connected to my music in tone and character. There is a darker nature in both, which also comes through nicely when developing editorial illustrations.

Image Credit: Scott Mickelson (www.toymonkeydesign.com)