Stop The ACLU / Happy New Ferrets, Sketch

Happy New Year!

Just Married, In Progress

This is a Mind and Media cartoon in progress for the C.D. Veil Of Deception: The Impact of Same Sex Marriage on American Youth, by Mission America. Needs a little color, and I may or may not stick a seminary in the background. We'll see.

Mystical marriage in the Catholic tradition is man being married to God, commonly personified by God being married to man by way of His priesthood. Christ is the bridgegroom, and the church is His bride. This is the scriptural instruction and faith tradition which Catholics hold fast to; redefining marriage is equal to redefining our relationship with God, a right we simply haven't been given. The invention of the computer chip, Tang and Rap music hasn't altered the basics of this relationship. The world is certainly free to do as it wishes, and can legalize whatever new definition of marriage it would like. As a conservative leaning towards the libertarian, I'm not philosophically opposed to two adults entering into a binding contract. However, I fail to see how the legalization of same sex marriage doesn't de facto criminalize Christianity, and Judaism, and Islam. It's a given.

There's much good to contemplate in a priest or a nun entering into a lifelong love contract with God. It should be viewed less as a sacrifice (sexual marriage is a sacrifice in many ways as well) but as a relationship, and a very healthy spiritual one. Whether or not one ascribes to the new secular definition of marriage or the traditional one, it's an awe inspiring standard anyone who loves God can emulate.

I don't believe I've ever seen a cartoon of a Priest literally married to a church, so I thought I'd take advantage of a hot button topic and contribute one last goofy cartoon to the blogosphere before 2006 starts to consume my new Thomas Kincaide calendar, one day at a time.

Please pray for Stacy Harp's cat Boswell, that he may soon be found.

Ave Domini 2006 / Neverborn

Neverborn, in a New Year's cartoon. Ave Domini 2006!
While we're hat tipping Freepers-just noticed this post on the last Military Monday thread also at Free Republic. Thanks, DollyCali! Thanks also to Shalomisa96 for adding a faithmouse link to

Blogs 4 Life Conference

The first in a series of cartoons to promote the first annual Blogs4Life conference.

Thanks to Father John Sistare at his Not So Quiet Catholic Corner for posting the recent ACLU toon. Thanks also to Bible Course for adding the regularly updating feed to their site as well.

AfC/ Twelve Days of Christmas #3

Click image above for larger cartoon. Largest.

Some history regarding our current version of the Twelve Days of Christmas can be found on this page at Women For Faith & Family.

Faithmouse fan Tyler Hudgens has kindly penned a Wikipedia listing for the cartoon. Faithmouse is also mentioned in this Newsmax Wikipedia listing, which was written a few years ago. I helped Tyler with some of the background information and requested that he not make the listing too complimentary. I think he did a swell job.

Thanks to Holy Spirit Interactive for adding the regularly updating feed. Army Bugler at his Stumble Upon site has posted an older pro-military cartoon. Fuzzy Craig has given the cartoon a nod, and Lyle has added the cartoon to his personal calendar.

Stop The ACLU / Coalucopia

Had to decide between finishing this toon and the final cartoon in the A faithmouse Christmas series and decided to give the AfC toon a day or two more work. I'll have it online by at least Monday, along with revisions to a few recent cartoons. Been a bit rushed...it's Christmas!

Pookie18 has posted a page of Christmas Cartoons on his Free Republic board, and Dolly and gang at A Few of FR's Finest have a bright and encouraging Christmas thread running throughout the weekend. Pause from the hustle and bustle and spend some one-on-one time with Christ by way of a visit to Whispering_Grace's A Heart of Praise.

Thanks to Voice Of The Watchman, which has added the regularly updating toon to their main page; mystery poster at Hedgedive who posted an older get out the vote toon from before the last election; Old Fart at Protest Warrior who posted the recent 'ACLU shredder' toon, and One Christ One Love who posted the 'Chill in the air-Christians on campus' cartoon on his Xanga site.

AfC / Twelve Days of Christmas #2

AfC / Twelve Days Of Christmas, #1

First of three cartoons.

The original faithmouse and I will both be conference bloggers at the first Blogs4Life in Washington on January 23, one day after the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade and the day of the annual March For Life, which we'll also be participating in. The conference is being sponsored by the Family Research Center, and will take place at their center in Washington.

I'll throwing the cartoon over completely to promoting the conference following Christmas. Between Christmas and the New Year I'll also be posting in tandem about five cartoons I owe Stacy Harp at Mind and Media (hi, Stacy!).

If you happen to see a plume of smoke in the sky over Minnesota, it's not Mount Buck Hill erupting, it's just a cartoonist drawing as fast as he can. Should be fun!

AfC / Santa Christ

Click cartoon to view larger image. Biggie Size.

Thanks to Michael Ready at The Waffling Anglican for adding the regularly updating toon to his site. Michael is one of many to whom I've promised an autographed cartoon, a very long delayed but still earnestly intended act of self-aggrandizement.

Simliar requests for an autographed cartoon can still be made by sending name and cell block number to danlacey (at) faithmouse (dot) com.

If you'd like to pick up an autographed toon in person, I'll be a conference blogger at the first Blogs4Life in Washington D.C. on January 23; much more about this tomorrow.

AfC / Happy Unholy Days

Stop The ACLU / Secular's Department Store

Click cartoon to view larger version, or here for the largest.

Yes, this is a completely different ACLU cartoon than one I previewed yesterday. I've decided to force myself to stay in sequence, so the 'Cash' toon is on hold for a Sunday or two.

I think this image gives a partial feel for what it's like downtown Minneapolis in the winter. Older Dayton's-like department store. Miserable and somewhat hazardous outside. Strugging musician on her way to a gig.

Thanks to KC for adding the cartoon to her new Random and Politically Incorrect Thoughts. Thanks also to x'PARE'x for incorportating a Terri Schiavo toon as wallpaper on his Friendster page.

Stop The ACLU / Cash

Thanks to KC for adding the cartoon to her new Random and Politically Incorrect Thoughts. Thanks also to x'PARE'x for incorportating a Terri Schiavo toon as wallpaper on his Friendster page.

Gulag The Bear, And A Finished Toon

Here's a cartoon I just discovered called Gulag The Bear. It's drawn by a fellow named Chris in Florida, who seems to be an outright trouble maker judging from the stories and pics on his Defending Liberty blog.

Click cartoon for larger image. Even larger.

Faithmouse Sings

Sing Praise

Composed and performed by the original faithmouse.
From the CD Waters of His Grace (out of print).
Copyright 2005 Chris Ward.

Howard Stern / Peace On Earth

Click cartoon for larger image. Super size me.
The board which had posted parodies of my cartoons seemed honestly distressed that I chose to link to it here; therefore for their comfort I've removed the link.

Thanks to 'stay at home' mom Barb at SFO Mom for adding faithmouse to her blogroll.

Half Baked Cartoons, and an anti-death penalty diatribe

I believe one of the reasons (and understandable so) that the public supports the death penalty is the absurdly short sentences handed out to those convicted of even the most gratuitous acts of murder. A completely punished murderer cannot commit the same act again. Concern on the part of the public for the safety of family members contributes mightily to the popularity of the death penalty. Even though Tookie Williams was never to return to the streets of L.A., the lack of a death penalty could mean that someone capable of repeating the same sort of horrible acts might. That's a real and difficult concern to argue against. The safety of your family will trump every DNA statistic in the world (ergo a Los Angeles jury aquitting O. J. Simpson of murder and ignoring solid DNA evidence because they were convinced, and wrongly so, that the police were the enemy).

The Tookie Williams death penalty clemency show was politically manipulated by those on the left, but it doesn't matter. We don't need the death penalty to protect the public, just ensured confinement of perpetrators, something we simply don't have due to the long weakening of our legal code, based in part by the damage done by Dr. Alfred Kinsey, who helped assign every evil motivation of the human heart to blameless biology. What's murder, when it's committed not by someone with a soul and a will, but by an upright animal not much more blameless for his natural instincts than a dog?

As Christians we come across much better to doubting mankind when we correctly claim that we leave every final judgment to God. One day after many more conservative justices are appointed to our courts perhaps we'll be able to return to that standard.



That Gaybear toon I delayed finishing in order to have it follow the last two cartoons....


Season's Greetings to Howard Stern...



Now and then faithmouse looks like a cartoon drawn by Bill Donohue of the Catholic League.

Thanks to Jean at Catholic Fire for posting a recent cartoon, as well as Alexa at Birth Story. I flubbed the recent link to Jean and Frank Trainor, so here it is again (sorry!) Editor and syndicated writer Dorothy Thompson at Over The Hill Chick posted the 'Silent Night' cartoon from last year, and Jordan at Beautifully Brutal posted one of the Pledge toons, also circa 2004. Nice bit of encouragement by way of GOP Christian on Online Comics.net.

Stop The ACLU / Same Sex Marriage Confetti Maker

Faithmouse is ranked #1 on Yahoo under 'I am a crazy Christian, what site do I visit'?

AfC / Refection

In progress. The photo I took a few years ago in downtown Minneapolis; that's the IDS building in the center.

Original Faithmouse

The character of faithmouse is inspired by my wife, harpist and vocalist Chris Ward. Chris has appeared in numerous movies and television programs, was a member of the original performing troupe at the Excalibur in Las Vegas, has appeared in Life magazine as the harpist at the Little White Chapel (August 1993 issue) and continues to perform as 'Lady Kate' at renaissance fairs across the country. She has appeared in the Guthrie Theater Production of A Christmas Carol, was part of a comedy lab there called Sunny Side Up. As a member of the Carillon Choristers she's performed at the Eisteddfod in Wales, and also for the Kings of Sweden and Norway when they visited the Twin Cities. Chris spent second grade living in Europe with her family, and therefore has a pretty good understanding of German! She is also an excellent seamstress and rose gardener.

Chris continues to sing and play the harp all around the Twin Cities area, including a recent performance for the Prime Minister of Iceland. She has recently acquired a third harp, a Lyon and Healy number 17, which is, in my opinion, the heaviest harp she has ever owned.

Chris is available for performances, and can be reached at danlacey @ faithmouse (dot) com

Fiery Emergency Contraception

Walgreens Pharmacists File Discrimination Complaint Over Plan B Firings -LifeNews

Update on the Pharmacist Case and the Supreme Court -American Center for Law & Justice

"Morning-After" Pills cause early abortions -ProLife.com

Differences of opinion over abortifacients continue to obscure the fact that conception begins at fertilization, which happens long before implantation. The Apollo astronauts weren't considered non-entities while enroute to the moon, and arguments that a comet might naturally destroy their ship anyway wouldn't excuse shooting them out of the sky with a rocket.

Both RU486 and the 'morning after pill' cause abortions. Calling MAP 'emergency contraception' is a lie, a verbal deception which those same folks who beat the drum against big corporate pharmaceuticalists choose to ignore since it doesn't benefit their socialist worldview.

Even if these pharmacists, fired as the result of a power grab by the governor of the State of Illinois over the legislature, are completely wrong in their assessment of MAP, they have the right to their moral convictions, which includes the right not to have their convictions forcibly segregated by way of executive memorandum from the whole of their lives.

Religious folks everywhere can be proud of these pharmacists, who in addition to lending some backbone to the Hippocratic oath are taking a stand against the pox of Christian cultural schizophrenia.

AfC / Sounds Like A Funeral

A faithmouse Christmas

Let's not get too dark, and let's round up all the cartoons in progress and work them into one continuous storyline for the holidays.
This cartoon features a detail from a cartoon meant to precede the communion toon partially posted a few days ago, and will lead into the...well, you get the picture.
Should be fun.

Timothy A. Bear Cartoon, Completed

Click image for larger version

Timothy A. Bear has spiritual problems: here's a glimpse at what they look like. You also already know that Faith has a new romantic interest, although that relationship hasn't matured yet. It's easier now for Faith to become disillusioned with Timothy, especially since Timothy won't tell anyone what his problems are.

A Short Faithmouse Tour

Oh The Frustration.... -Planet Preterist
The Ten Commandments: Legal? -Agent Tim
Pro-Life cartoon FaithMouse Gains Readers -ProLife Blogs
Pro-Lifers Cartoonists Are Quick on the Draw -Dawn Eden

Timothy A. Bear Cartoon, In Progress

In additition to Renew America, Stop The ACLU and Misunderestimated Germans, yesterday's toon has been posted by Whispering Grace on Bible Database, and a debate has ensued following the innocent instigation of Sunset at this Moms Who Think thread entitled Faithmouse...I love this cartoon!.

Here's a toon nearly completed which I felt compelled to slip into the line-up. I'll still have that promised finished Gaybear toon later in the day as well.

In the spirit of the season, here's a few favorite links which you may enjoy-
Week 48, 2005

Kiddie Records Weekly makes classics of the golden age of children's recording including original album artwork available on the net. One of my favorites is the fanciful Bozo And The Birds (week 11, 2005) which features both beautiful illustrations and the vocal stylings of June (Rocky the squirrel) Foray. A very enjoyable rediscovery for those with fond memories of this forgotten genre, and a great way to share lost gems of our pop culture with children and grandchildren.

E Ticket Radio on Live365 is but one of at least a half dozen or so stations broadcasting original recordings from Disney theme parks. The Roman Catholic Prayer station broadcasts the Mass, Rosary, Litanies and more in Latin.

Jean Marie is making this request on her Catholic Fire.

Dear Friends,Would you please join us in saying this novena to St. Joseph for the sale of our home in IL? It has been on the market for about three months now and we need your prayer support as it is very difficult to pay for rent, house payments, and utility bills (especially those high heating bills) on both of our residences.
Thanks & God bless you!

St. Joseph Novena O good father Joseph! I beg you, by all your sufferings, sorrows and joys, to obtain for me what I ask. (Here name your petition). Obtain for all those who have asked my prayers, everything that is useful to them in the plan of God. Be near to me in my last moments, that I may eternally sing the praises of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Amen.(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be).

If you don't have time to say this Novena, any prayers will be deeply appreciated.

Please consider saying a prayer for Jean, as it's becoming increasingly difficult to pound any additional statues of St. Joseph past the permafrost.

Stop The ACLU / Sneeze Strategy

Updated version of toon posted on Sunday.
Judge: Legislative Prayers Can't Mention Jesus
-The Indy Channel
Yeshua.com
Why Messianic Jews?-Menorah.com

Besides it being a new premise here in America that individual free speech must be suppressed in order to 'safeguard' the rights of others (most of whom aren't complaining in the first place, and there will always be those who will complain about anything-my neighbor Burt comes to mind) to claim that any one particular group of citizens are going to be naturally offended by the name of Christ now and for eternity is the height of arrogance and patronization. Just ask any Roman citizen post-Constantine, or take Messianic Jews as an example; Jewish people who have accepted Jesus Christ as Messiah. I remember when Larry King still had his radio show how flabbergasted he was by a caller who mentioned that he was a Messianic Jew. Larry King had never heard of such a thing, and this from a fellow who had already been in the information business for decades. He had been Jewish even longer.

How sheltered are we, and how much must we wish to coddle our own stereotyped concepts of how our fellow citizens think and feel, when we accept the court enabled dictates of a few anti-religious bigots who preach, in denial of our rich and proven history of liberty, that the individual can no longer be trusted with his own free speech?

Thanks kindly to Jürgen Krafzik of both Rottenburg and Misunderestimated Germans for trackbacking to today's cartoon as well as for adding faithmouse to his blogroll.

Today's toon also appeared in the Sunday Funnies post on Stop The ACLU.

The completed version of the most recent Gaybear toon will be posted on Tuesday, as well as the previously promised (I promise lots of stuff) Vatican Kitty cartoon later in the week.

Hennepin Methodist Church Protest Service Cartoon, In Progress

Minnesota Loon and Gaybear. Detail from cartoon in progress. Church Apologizes for Anti-Gay Rulings - Yahoo News

One of a few cartoons I'm slowly picking at. As you can see I still need to add beads to Gaybear's rosary. In the background is the Basilica of St. Mary in downtown Minneapolis, which isn't too far away from Hennepin Avenue Methodist.

During the past week I've added comments and trackbacks to the site via Haloscan, which means that those comment boxes at the end of every post are now operational. Please feel free to vent, praise, or correct my diction. I'm a pretty tolerant fellow, so saying you dislike both me and my shoes is acceptable.

The Joshua Heldreth toon from a few days ago appeared today in three Yahoo forums, Expose The Democrats, Conservative Chat and Republican Humor. Somehow I missed this post by Salvage at Hairy Fish Nuts on one of two versions of the Darfur Halloween toon. Thanks, Salvage! Thanks also to powerful spiritual imageress El for adding faithmouse as one of her 'blogs to check out'.

Inspirations

Tyler Hudgens

Llye Borrowman

My traffic for last Monday was almost double and came from all over the country, and not from any link. I suspect this was a radio mention somewhere; perhaps from Janet Parshall, who uses a mug featuring my Neverborn mug in her Washington studio during her broadcasts. If anone is aware of a specific radio mention, I would appreciate the lowdown. It's always nice to be able to say 'thanks'.

Cross Carrier Chuck / 45,000 Mile Cross Service

Cross Carrier Chuck

I had a completely different cartoon in progress for today, but put that aside once I caught a photo in our local Pioneer Press of Cross Carrier Chuck crossing an intersection on Tuesday in Fresno, California. I doubt Chuck has ever had a cartoon drawn about him before. Here it is.

Thanks to Canadian singer/songwriter Frank Trainor for adding the faithmouse link to his blog.

God Bless The Peace Activists

Military of the United States - Wikipedia

I've been making some minor changes to Faith as of late. Her nose is now an eclipse instead of a soft edged triangle, and her eyebrows have pretty much disappeared beneath her oversized bow.

It's taken seven years to get the character to this point. That's still much faster than an iceberg, if an iceberg had its own web cartoon.

Faith circa 2000 or so.

The Apology Of Joshua Heldreth

A cartoon I should have drawn some time ago. I intended to use Joshua's actual letter in the image, but it didn't reproduce very well at a smaller size. I compromised by reproducing part of the letter in a font called Kidprint. The original 'apology' (which also serves as an excellent Christian apologetic) can be viewed at this LifeSite article from last August.

C. S. Lupus

William Scott Conway writes "For those that might be interested, I've added a blog entry that may be enlightening to anyone who's ever wondered if our favorite inkling would have enjoyed Star Wars. "


William Scott Conway also writes on behalf of all die-hard Lewis fans to inquire what I'm planning to do to Jack, now that he knows I'm working on a Lewis toon or two. I hope the above non-malevolent sketch puts his mind at ease.

Lupus because C.S., frightened of the 'son' and living in an underground hollow, will later transform into Paul from Saul.

Stop The ACLU Blogburst / Looking For A Plaintiff

Looking for lawsuit plaintiff against prayer at grad ceremony -WorldNet Daily

Looking for a plaintiff every day
Looking for a plaintiff every way, I've been
Looking for a plaintiff it's all mine
Looking for a plaintiff and working over time, work out...

Updated version of the cartoon posted this morning.

Here are some of senior Jessica Reed's offending statements, which both the ACLU and to some extent the cowed Jonesboro Public School District believes are worthy of censure-

"I'm here to tell you that God is someone, that he is amazing. He will love you through everything. He will praise you when you are down. All you have to do is give your heart to Him. "

Horrendous. But wait, there's more-

" And before we leave, I want to give you that opportunity. In the closing moments of this service, if you would like to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, here's your chance.."

I don't know if any students or parents in the audience came forward, but Jessica Reed certainly did. Young people remain idealistic and brash, despite when groups like the ACLU threaten to beat them down with a legal stick.

Jessica's speech was covered by the 'free expression' clause of the First Amendment, or should have been. Free speech is by nature offensive. The misinterpretation and misuse of the 'establishment clause' (constructs both) promoted by groups such as the ACLU has created large expression free zones in our culture, and a subsequent loss of freedom. The fact that the ACLU has to go begging for an offending party in this case demonstrates that the organization is serving the interests of no one but themselves.

Thanks to Riddlz's for posting a Thanksgiving Day toon on his Formed Reborn Transformed Now Renewed. Nixatron has added faithmouse as a link, and the High School Ministry of Immanuel Baptist has both added the RSS feed and somehow gotten the darn thing to display an image. Student and fellow MN Blogroller Chris Meirose at Because I Said So has given the cartoon a much appreciated ballyhoo.

Happy Eucharist!

Eucharist is derived from a Greek word which means thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving, Pilgrims

I just noticed this was posted in Foster G's Myspace board so what the heck. It's last year's toon but still appropriate, and, it's an actual Thanksgiving toon. As I mentioned in the previous post a new turkey day toon will arrive over the weekend. In the meantime to those turkeys still trying to kill us, cheers.

Spinner

Click for larger image. Even larger image.

Sorry this took so long to complete. My wife has this odd idea that I should do things with her on Thanksgiving. I actually do have a Thanksgiving Day toon in progess, which I'll continue to plod away on and of course finish after the holiday is over. It should still be nice to look at over the weekend.

Thanks to Homeschooler Patricia and her Patricia's Polywog Creek Porch for picking up a Neverborn toon as a sidebar graphic and linking to the site. By osmosis the same toon found it's way to Mama Bug's site as well. Toy Doll selects the Canadian Mounties as her heroes.

The Paper Doll Muses Yahoo Group has posted a link to the paper doll series from last year. Really cool to have the characters on a paper doll site. Shane at The High Places has posted a link to a previous toon along with the observation that it strikes a bit too close to home.

Spinner Detail

Detail from cartoon in progress.