One of the the greatest joys I have had as managing editor of AFP is working with the many talented artists who light up the cover and inside pages with their creative and colorful illustrations. Working under the guidance of AFP's art coordinator, David Klemm, whose office is based in the Department of Faculty and Curriculum Support at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., medical illustrators take a rough sketch or concept supplied by an author and turn it into fine art that helps explain the often complicated medical concepts reviewed in AFP's articles. Most of AFP's illustrators receive extensive professional training and are board-certified by the Association of Medical Illustrators, and many have been recognized with professional awards within their industry, often for their work on AFP.

This issue's cover illustration is by John Karapelou, a board-certified medical illustrator based in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Karapelou has over 28 years of professional experience illustrating medical journals and textbooks, and has earned over 30 awards in the industry.

Although I too seldom take the time to thank David Klemm and his troupe of artists, I always appreciate the dedication, effort and talent required of medical illustrators to be masters of their craft, and I am grateful for their contributions. Now I'd like to acknowledge the following illustrators, whose work has graced the pages of AFP:

• William Andrews, Augusta, Georgia

• Judith Barrington, Medical Visual Services, Bath, Maine

• Joan Beck, Beck Visual Communications, Cottage Grove, Minnesota

• Scott Bodell, Bodell Communications, Dallas, Texas

• Kathryn Born, Arlington, Texas

• Charles Boyter, Atlanta Medical Legal Art, Atlanta, Georgia

• Peter Brunke, Prairie Village, Kansas

• Todd Buck, Lombard, Illinois

• Renee Cannon, Medcom Studios, Scottsdale, Arizona

• Marie T. Dauenheimer, Reston, Virginia

• Martha Davoli, Portland, Maine

• John Foerster, Foerster Studios, Martinez, Georgia

• Christine Gralapp, Fairfax, California

• Marcia Hartsock, The Medical Art Company, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Floyd Hosmer, FEH Illustrations, Birmingham, Alabama

• Marsha J. Dohrmann, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

• John W. Karapelou, BioMedical Illustrations, Columbus, Ohio

• Lydia V. Kibiuk, Baltimore, Maryland

• David Klemm, Faculty & Curriculum Support, Washington, D.C.

• Christy Krames, Austin, Texas

• Michael Kress-Russick, Kress-Russick Illustration, Madison, Wisconsin

• Robert Margulies, Margulies Medical Art, Miami, Florida

• Teri J. McDermott, McDermott Medical Illustration, Elgin, Illinois

• Steven and Myriam Oh, KO Studios, Pacifica, California

• Stacey Olson-Sachs, Brookeville, Maryland

• Bert Oppenheim, Medway, Massachusetts

• Mark Schornak, Barrow Neurologic Institute, Phoenix, Arizona

• Mark E. Schuler, Prairie Village, Kansas

• Cynthia Turner, Alexander & Turner, Grayton Beach, Florida

• William Westwood, Westwood Medical Communications, Albany, New York