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Harrison Reed, PA-C, practices emergency medicine in Las Vegas, NV.<\/p>\n
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<\/p><\/div>There\u2019s nothing textbook about Jorge Muniz\u2019s style. The physician assistant and emerging artist is as unique as his creation, Medcomic, a humorous cartoon collection that delivers medical education in a flurry of colorful punches.<\/p>\n
Muniz juggles full-time clinical practice with the skyrocketing popularity of Medcomic, but the balancing act is nothing new. After all, he started the comic series while attending PA school at Nova Southeastern University in Orlando, FL. But what started as a study diversion for his friends soon gained attention from university faculty and, eventually, students and educators around the world.<\/p>\n
The cartoons themselves bear all the evidence of their creator\u2019s DNA. Muniz grew up on a diet of Looney Toons and 1990\u2019s Nickelodeon cartoons. And while his style reflects those animated roots, his work carries the undeniable compassion of his medical profession.<\/p>\n
Muniz has parlayed the success of his Medcomic website into a book of the same name. The print project, financed by donations through a Kickstarter campaign, was released last year and has found its way to bookshelves as far away as Australia.<\/p>\n
The talented clinician-artist spoke with me about the emotions of cartoons, connecting with fans, and how he \u2014 quite literally \u2014 puts his profession front and center.<\/p>\n
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HR: What cartoons did you grow up watching?<\/strong><\/p>\n JM: When I was really little, I watched a lot of Looney Toons\u2026 I studied that. And in the \u201890s, when I was probably in middle school, I watched Ren and Stimpy<\/em> (on Nickelodeon). And that\u2019s probably one of my favorite art styles because they are very emotive. The material is kind of gross and stupid, but when you look at the art it\u2019s really cool. The Looney Toons and the \u201890s Nickelodeon, Rocko\u2019s Modern Life — <\/em>things like that, I liked.<\/p>\n But those old Looney Toons, they don\u2019t really make cartoons like that anymore\u2026It\u2019s gotten away from the cartoon acting, using the cartoon as a puppet to express your ideas. So if you look at my artwork, I think I try to incorporate motion into the drawing even though it\u2019s a still picture.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n HR: Your cartoons are incredibly expressive and they have a ton of personality for things that are essentially inanimate objects. Do you ever base your cartoons on real people?<\/strong><\/p>\n JM: Recently I drew a Type I diabetes cartoon and posted it (on Medcomic.com). It\u2019s based off (my niece); she\u2019s a young girl growing up with diabetes. So I drew that and dedicated it to her. And my whole family was really happy about seeing her depicted in a drawing. The thing about drawing people in these cartoons is that there is a fine line between showing the disease process \u2013and making it fun and fun to look at and humorous\u2014and possibly going over the line and being offensive or making fun<\/em> of the disease or the person that may have the disease. So I always try to keep that in mind and make it tasteful. But at the same time there\u2019s ways to make it interesting and funny without poking fun. So it\u2019s a balance and I think I walk that line pretty well for the most part.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n HR: Did you ever think your artwork would turn into something that was successful in its own right?<\/strong><\/p>\n JM: I\u2019ve always wanted to achieve some success with my artwork because I\u2019m so passionate about it. I never thought I would do a book. I was like, \u2018I enjoy doing this and it\u2019s helping people so I am going to keep posting this online.\u2019 \u2026And I was pretty consistent for the past two and a half, three years posting artwork. I think if you\u2019re consistent with anything that you are passionate about, eventually you can achieve some success with it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n HR: You crossed a threshold with the Medcomic<\/em> book, a project that was financed by a Kickstarter fund. You didn\u2019t have any corporate overlords looking over your shoulder. How did that change the process of making a book?<\/strong><\/p>\n JM: That was really important for me to maintain some creative freedom with the book. I did a lot of research before doing the Kickstarter, and I was concerned about that control, maybe a company taking the intellectual property of the drawings and then using it for other things. I guess I\u2019m a little protective of the artwork and I wanted it to be for this purpose of, you know, helping students. So (self publication) let me maintain some control.<\/p>\n And it was a little nerve-wracking because I wasn\u2019t sure if people would necessarily support that goal of making a book. I know people really liked seeing it online but a book is the next step. So, luckily it was successful and I got to make the book and I am really happy about that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n HR: A thousand years from now, future archeologists digging in central Florida only find one drawing. Which drawing do you want them to find?<\/strong><\/p>\n JM: Oh man, that\u2019s a tough one. You know, I think\u2026 I like\u2026 Hmm let me see\u2026. Man that\u2019s a hard question\u2026. I like the cardiomyopathy one, I think.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/frontlines-clinical-medicine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2016\/03\/DM-Type-1.png\")
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