Our latest Spotlight on projects and people within the Graphic Medicine international community focuses on a new series of Proton-Man and the Proton Pro-Team comics by Steve Englehart and Mike Jaszewski .
About The Authors:
Steve Englehart is a pivotal figure in comic book history, known for creating iconic characters such as Peter Quill (aka Star-Lord) and Mantis from Guardian of the Galaxy, as well as Shang-Chi and for redefining heroes and villain like Batman, The Joker, Doctor Strange, Captain America, and others. His work introduced a deeper, more human complexity to superhero storytelling—one that has influenced decades of comics and the Marvel and DC superhero universes. He brings that same narrative power to this project, reframing courage and resilience for children in medical care.
Mike Jaszewski is a lifelong comic book enthusiast and veteran designer with over 30 years of experience in illustration, branding, and visual storytelling. While he’s delivered successful results for clients from start-ups to Fortune 500s, his true passion has always been the storytelling potential of comics. This project brings together his love of expressive, character-driven art and his belief in design as a tool for communication, connection, and healing.
Together, Englehart and Jaszewski have formed a dynamic duo combining the emotional clarity of graphic medicine with the mythic language of superheroes—creating something uniquely powerful for kids, families, and care teams alike.
About this Work:
Proton-Man is a three-issue comic book series developed to help children and families understand proton therapy through age-appropriate storytelling, medical accuracy, and emotional support.
In Issue 1, readers meet Sally, a young girl beginning treatment who uses her imagination—and a little guidance from her care team—to face her fears and make sense of what’s happening to her body.
Issue 2 follows Connor, a teenage boy in the midst of treatment. As he grapples with fatigue and uncertainty, he’s joined by Immuna, a personified version of his immune system who helps him understand the invisible battles his body is fighting and reminds him he’s not alone.
In Issue 3, Connor has completed treatment and steps into a mentor role as he meets Frank, a younger patient just starting his journey. This final issue also introduces Dr. Protonic and Protonica, who explain the science behind proton therapy in a fun, accessible way.
Though Proton-Man is no longer in active use, the series was printed in the thousands, translated into three languages, and widely distributed across pediatric care settings. It continues to serve as a model for how comics can educate, comfort, and empower young patients during some of their most vulnerable moments.
Following the success of Proton-Man, the creative team was invited by the world’s leading manufacturer of proton therapy systems to develop a new comic series—one designed to help even more children and families face proton therapy with clarity, courage, and emotional support.
Steve Englehart and Mike Jaszewski answered that call with The Proton Pro-Team, a dynamic, story-driven comic that introduces Gordon, a brave pediatric cancer patient undergoing proton therapy for brain cancer. As Gordon begins treatment, he discovers that his care team—his physician, dosimetrist, therapist, nurse, and physicist—aren’t just experts in their fields… they’re heroes in disguise.
Together, they become The Proton Pro-Team, guiding Gordon step-by-step through his journey. Along the way, readers learn how proton therapy works, when it was first used, and what actually happens during a session—from setup and targeting to the final beam.
But this isn’t just about education—it’s about empowerment. Gordon also faces off against The Baron, a shadowy villain representing his illness. With the Pro-Team by his side, he faces his fears, understands his treatment, and finds his own inner strength.
Now actively used and distributed in pediatric care environments and translated into Spanish, The Proton Pro-Team blends science, storytelling, and emotional connection to help children—and the adults who care for them—understand proton therapy and feel heroic doing it.
Read the comic online at https://www.iba-protontherapy.com/comicbook
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