“This was a commissioned editorial illustration that, unfortunately, fell through during the sketch stage. It was the first time in my 20-plus-year career that I just couldn’t bend on my vision for the art—to the point of stopping the job. The rise of suicides in the armed forces is a serious problem, and I wanted an image that hit hard and put this issue front and center. The editors were frightened, thinking it was too harsh, and pushed me to paint something unrelated to the issue. The art director and I parted ways amicably, and I completed the project on my own. The piece led to more work, and I was later contacted by appreciative families with loved ones suffering from PTSD, and I got to hear some of their stories.”