All Saints' Day

Not satisfied with this toon, but due to time constraints I'm forced to move on. I had intended the foyer to be much brighter and reveal details about the private world of Professor Ferret, but this will have to suffice for the finished image. Things to do, people to see....

Thanks to Hope and Glory for posting a past toon in this Free Republic thread. The good folks at Punch have included faithmouse on its page of conservative cartoons.A new toon will be posted tomorrow. Also, a new Catholic feed cartoon will be posted as well.

Paying Tribute To Garrison Squealer

Timothy's Bad Judgment

It's late fall in this cartoon as it is here in the upper Midwest. Beneath the window are astilbes, a colorful import from Europe who's dried plumes are a nice source of winter interest. There was a bit more to this panel before I was forced to crop it back. Hopefully I'll be able to complete this over the next day or so, in addition to the All Saints Day toon I'm planning to post by Monday as well.

Is Timothy a bigot? Perhaps, but unintentionally so. He has no idea how the world actually works, so he's easily threatened and can respond emotionally to stereotypes. Nothing could be more threatening than slowly losing his girlfriend to a much larger and much more stable in the faith Christian bear. The fact that Blackbear is a Black bear just adds to his insecurity.

Thanks to High School Senior Morpheus at Winners Never Quit for linking the toon on his blogroll. Roy at Alicublog has an analysis of Friday's Pookie18's Today's Toons thread, including a mention of the recent Garrison Squealer toon. As for Minnesota themed cartoons, I also have a Norm Coleman toon started regarding a very important subject; the freedom of the electronic media in which you're currently engaged.

Harriet Miers

Final version of the toon posted earlier today. Revised because I could. Nice to be the bürgermeister of my own private cartoonland.

I received an email of thanks from E.Z. Zwayne and some other good folks at Living Waters in response to the cartoon from earlier this week featuring both he and Ray Comfort. Glad to make some sort of positive contribution. E.Z. asks for prayers for he and Ray's continuing legal battle.

Judicial abuses such as the Comfort and Zwayne case, where law abiding citizens are forced into spending time and money to defend their basic freedoms, simply as a result of exercising their freedoms, or when legislation against partial birth abortion is overturned after a liberal shopping expedition, are but two of the many reasons why the public favors the nomination of conservative, constitutionally minded judges to our highest courts. Hopefully the Miers withdrawal will move things back in a positive direction.

This cartoon was another of my 'graph paper' toons, where I combine ink and pencil drawings on separate Photoshop layers and then manipulate their duplicates. I've been producing quite a few black and white toons lately, but hopefully I can spit out a few color images in the weeks to come.

As a completely negligent Mind and Media reviewer, I owe Stacy Harp BIGTIME. I have about six cartoons in the works; toons which will act as promo pieces for various worthwhile Christian projects.

Mary at her popular Hope4America Yahoo Group has an exclusive faithmouse cartoon in progress posted on her splash page, along with accompanying midi music. Check it out!

Garrison Squealer

The Eyes Of Condolezza Rice

Take it from a person who has used Photoshop for many years to help create his cartoons - a 'brightening' filter won't automatically create Halloween cat eyes, no matter what the editorial staff at USA Today might claim.
The photograph was most deliberately manipulated, probably a somewhat bored member of the art department who was amused by his/her version and then made the mistake of posting it online.

Ray Comfort and 'No Speech' Zones

Judge Sued For Ordering 'No Speech' Zones
-World Net Daily
Living Waters (Ministry of Pastor Ray Comfort)

'Xians' is a derogatory term for Christians and employed widely in anti-Christian online forums (for those who haven't had the pleasure of visiting same).

I'm somewhat satisfied with this cartoon, as I believe it accurately portrays the attitude of many on the left who are dogged in their quest to redefine constitutional guarantees regarding free speech. Professor Ferret, hearing but discounting Roy's allusion to a higher authority than man, the authority from which we receive both law and justice, is quick to be literal. Adeptly changing the order of two words can completely change their meaning, and I imagine there are many who might defend Judge MacLaughin's similar illegal interpretation.

Thanks to Jay at Stop The ACLU for adding faithmouse to his blogroll and using a recent toon; a newer version of which can be seen here. You can read more about the original case this cartoon refers to at this Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Defends Michigan Student’s Religious Expression in “Candy-Cane” Case article. Our Spiritual Growth has added the faithmouse feed to their site, and Jumperbones has added a recent MN toon to this My Open Forum thread. Thanks to Freeper 'The Mayor' for adding an older Pledge Of Allegiance toon to the Military Monday forum at A Few of FR's Finest.

Here's a preview of the Garrison Squealer toon in progress, which is just too much fun. I'm torn between finishing this or the American Grrrl toon for later in the day on Tuesday. We'll see where the muse leads.

The American Grrrl Pattern

You may be aware of the current controversy surrounding the American Girl doll company, which has angered parents by allowing the use of the American Girl name for fundraising purposes to Girls Inc, an organization which aggressively supports and promotes the cause of abortion to children (check out the photo on the link page to rising conservative superstar and recent Girls Inc. Honoree Hillary Rodham Clinton).

Mattel. Inc, which now owns American Doll, says this- "We are profoundly disappointed that certain groups have chosen to misconstrue American Girl's purely altruistic efforts and turn them into a broader political statement on issues that we, as a corporation, have no position."

I've been onto American Doll for some time, as have many other Christian and conservative doll purchasing members of the petty bourgeoisie. Here's a copy of an email I wrote to the company in November of 2003 regarding their environmental activist doll Kailey-


Dear American Girl,

My wife and I, who have purchased your products in the past for our niece, by catalog and also in Chicago at your retail location, (which happens to be a multi-restaurant-mall-theater complex only a few miles from Lake Michigan) were taken aback by our recent American girl catalogue featuring your newest doll 'Kailey'. According to your catalogue, 'Kailey is a compassionate, athletic ten year old who loves the ocean more than anything. She feels right at home boogie boarding in the crashing waves, but has to find courage she didn't know she had when a development threatens her beach!' On the opposite side of Kailey's 4th and 5th page spread, (you have also given her the cover of your Holiday 2003 catalogue) it reads - 'Ten-year-old Kailey is sooo excited when she finds out a resort-mall-movie multiplex is coming to her beach! Then she learns the development would destroy the beach's rocky tide pools - and ruin the homes of all the creatures who live there. Kailey has a great idea, but she's never tried anything like it before. If she can believe in herself and make her idea work, there might be hope for the tide pools yet.' '

The 'About our Company' statement on your website states that 'American girls mission is to serve the developing interests and emotional needs of girls ages 3-12 through premium, age appropriate products and experiences that educate, entertain, reinforce positive social and moral values, and build self-esteem.' I'm unable to find in this statement any reference to advocating against resort-mall-movie multiplexes which may or may not destroy tide pools. Is this an appropriate message to convey to little girls, many of whoms own parents may well be the owners or developers of said multiplex (your products are not low-end, and are priced accordingly) that commercial development is by nature harmful and needs to be opposed? Many corporations have contributed quite heavily to the health of our shoreline, and need to be commended, not condemned. The 'resort-mall-movie multiplex' which you demonize would in the real world create tourism and increased tax revenue for the local community; it would represent a low-intrusive commercial enterprise which would probably be courted and welcomed by most local communities, which need the revenue generated to maintain healthy shorelines.

I can't see 'Kailey' as anything but a highly politicized bit of propaganda, an anti-commerce and therefore anti-American product, which communicates a message opposite of your mission statement which promises to 'educate and reinforce positive social and moral values.'

The education and upbringing of our niece will benefit most from fair and balanced information, and not from the example of Kailey, who's message seems to be that businessmen and businesswomen are bad, and the ocean is good, and any human development can only be destructive. Kailey's purpose is blatant anti-business pro-environmentalist indoctrination, and deviates completely from your product line of dolls which each represent a particular period of American history, without advocacy.

The extreme actions of ultra-environmentalism harms our country and the very 'environment' which it pretends to defend. Anti-logging efforts in California and the resulting refusal to remove thousands of acres of dead and diseased trees contributed heavily to the recent devastating forest fires; the actions of environmental terrorists who burned SUV factories introduced more harmful pollutants into the environment than the operation of these multi-purpose vehicles ever would have produced over a normal lifetime, and the political opposition to non-invasive modern drilling operations in Alaska and offshore of Texas and California actually harms our long term national security interests, which are the interests of all Americans, including those who honor facts and who actually care about the environment.
As for as our family is concerned, your image has gone from 'American Girl' to anti-American. We won't give you any more of our money, if this is what our patronage of your product pays for.

Sincerely
November 26, 2003





For an alternative to the American Girl product line, please shop the very forwardly Christian and pro-life Beautiful Girlhood Collection.

Narnia Sneak Peek at Northridge Evangelical Free Church

"I did not say to myself 'Let us represent Jesus as He really is in our world by a Lion in Narnia'; I said 'Let us suppose that there were a land like Narnia and that the Son of God, as He became a man in our world, became a lion there, and then imagine what would happen." -C.S. Lewis in a 1954 letter to some Maryland 5th graders.

Chris and I were fortunate enough to attend a local preview of The Chronicles of Narnia-The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at Northridge Evangelical Free Church on Thursday, a nation wide promotion of the film organized by Mission America. We had to leave early into the presentation, but I was able to collect some freebies and have a short talk with Pastor Derrick Skoglund. We learned that the second book in the series is ready to go into production, depending upon the success of the first film...so for heaven's sake (and earth's sake too) go see the film. The series is being co-produced by Mr. Lewis' stepson Doug Gresham, who has striven to insure a faithful rendition of the work (although if you've both read the book and seen the trailer, you'll agree that the role of the housekeeper has been a bit embellished).

At the Narniaresources site you can download a variety of promotional materials and also check to see if a local preview will be available in your area. According to Narniaresources, these 'exclusive experiences' are open to 'Church Leaders, Youth Leaders, Children's Leaders, Educators, and Other Leaders', so according to that, fellow blog leaders and online educators, you're good to go.

If you can't get to a preview but would like a quick immersion into the world of Narnia, try this interactive map link I discovered at Narianweb.

Among the promotional materials I received were these two images; one showing Aslan alone, and another which is an alternate version of Lucy boldy drawing back the drapes on the Professor's closet. Have at them.

Have A Belated Love Your Body Day

Chris and I celebrated Tuesday's National Organization of Women's Love Your Body Day by high-fiveing the construction of a new Culver's on highway 50 in Lakeville.

Groups such as NOW believe they can address the problem of damagingly overt cultural sexuality by encouraging women to focus more of their own bodies, whatever shape they might happen to be in, but not to the point that they might conclude their bodies are sacred. The result is better self-image packaged like a lingerie party, which just by coincidence compliments the modern standard of self-indulgence in all endeavors. It's a valueless idea.

Even though more women are looking at adult materials than in the past, most of those feeding the engine are men. The way to solve this problem is to have wholesome women (once again) force men to act responsibly, which in turn heals the culture.

The grand point which ' liberation' groups of every ilk avoid is that society suffers from a spiritual and not a physical problem. Whatever vision they possess is compromised by their defense of abortion, the most horrid of spiritual crimes. The body is a place to protect, not an idea to redefine. Attitude doesn't replace the reality that women became cheapened (and men along with them) when they conspired with a radical element to sucessfully redefine the value of life for the sake of convenience.

Child in womb only 16 weeks after conception. Photo courtesy Life Issues.org.

Wellstone Toon, Completed.

Final version of the toon, updated from earlier today. Punch is true Neapolitan style pizza and highly recommended. Avoid the St. Paul location, which especially around dinner time is a bit too busy for comfort.

Thanks to Mondocognito for posting a link to the previous Ms. StarMole Minnesota toon at his Around The World In 80 Days. Jett has posted an older toon which features both Ted Kennedy and Ingmar Bergman's black hooded death on the political toon forum at Over 40 And Fine (Blogger doesn't seem to want to accept the very long address, so here's the toon), and Singapore's sprint triathlonist in training Kewl Nitrox has emblazoned his blog with two images. The regularly updating feed can be found on the splash page of the Yahoo Group Make New Friends. Thanks to Charmaine Yoest at Reasoned Audacity for recently adding faithmouse to her blogroll.

What Would Wellstone Do?

Here's a preview of a toon in progress, inspired by a What Would Wellstone Do? bumpersticker Chris and I recently spied outside Punch pizza in St. Paul. This should succeed at being a much cheerier cartoon than today's post, although the actual Bird Flu virus would succeed at being cheerier. Trust me, the Vatican Kitty cartoon I have in the works is a hoot.

For those not hailing from Minnesota, Paul Wellstone was the very liberal Senator who perished in a small plane crash, along with his wife, a daughter, and five others, shortly before the 2002 election. Organizers of his memorial service didn't accept the Vice President of the United States offer to attend, which was just as well, as the televised memorial devolved into a partisan and divisive Democratic campaign rally which many believe assisted in the strong Republican election victories the following month.

Madonna Warns Us Of The Beast Which Is Herself

When I noticed a photo of Mr. and Mrs. Ritchie I had previously posted to the blog newly hotlinked on a music site as part of their response to a story on Drudge, I decided to replace the anonymous photo with a toon which could serve as an ad for my site. Fair is fair, and it is my bandwidth. The resulting image frightens even me.

Madonna's commentary regarding the evils of the material world precede the release of her new single, album, and film. The snippet I've heard of her single sounds a bit like Abba's Lay Your Love On Me, preceded by a 'sample' of Gimmie Gimme Gimme A Man After Midnight and may very well climb quickly to the top of the disco charts, providing her former entourage doesn't glare her down with the evil eye in response to her recent 'conservative' comments and continued embrace of pseudo-Jewish mysticism. There isn't enough red string in the world to protect her if the Gay 90's decide they want their baby shower gifts back.

Madonna in her holiness preaches the common misperception that most priests are Gay; indeed perhaps the religious Madonna hangs with are Gay, but such factless pronouncements are just par-for-the-course empiricism on her part, continuing unabated and encouraged by her immersion in a Hollywood money cult, a most profit blessed incarnation of the ever redefinable Kabbalah.

The cartoon says (I think) that the beast Madonna warns us about is herself, or at least half herself. The other half is represented by the nun's habit she wore to a Kabbalah costume party while Pope John Paul II struggled against death (she hubby dressed as the Pontiff himself). I didn't have the heart to further defile a crucifix by picturing the one she wore around her neck, so I replaced it with what seems to best represent her true faith.

Thanks to Chilli at the 522 for posting the recent 'troubling but necessary' Bill Bennett toon. Freddan in this Dutch? forum posted the Moneygrubber paper doll; Uncle Sam's Kid added a few Neverborn toons to this Military.com forum; and Curt Dalaba has given the toon a plug on his Commonplace blog. Mystery posts can be located somewhere at Flamehaus and The Nation Of Political Conservatives.

Today's Show

The Today Show Stages a Flood Report - The Political Teen

Today's cartoon has a little fun with the very funny Today Show canoeing faux pax, which was led on-air by a teaser about the Administrations 'staged' Iraq Q&A (since this wasn't a quiz, it was fair to let the soldiers know what the questions were going to be beforehand). If you happen to be a news savvy blogging conservative you should get the canoeing reference; if your perspective is more spiritually oriented the toon becomes Christian commentary. If you're a mod Christian conservative, the toon can be viewed as Katie Couric Descending a Staircase; you can read within it references to both past (the infamous 'Matthew Shepard' Christian bashing commentary) and present fraudities. Otherwise it's just an amusing cartoon about that Jesus fellow who walked on water.

It's pretty rare for me to draw cartoons with horizontal panels, but as this one worked well (and quickly) I may try it again soon.

On Friday I posted a version of the Michael Newdow commentary I've been poking at for the past few weeks. It's a fairly involved image featuring six regular characters in addition to the featured antagonist (Faith, Ms. StarMole, Professor Ferret, Swoopy, Timothy A. Bear and Blackbear), and includes a tasteful though nearly nude Faith in the last panel.

An apology here to Snopes for not returning as of yet to their thread. One of the reasons I'm hesitant to post comments on other sites is that I know my expositions can generate twelve more questions about the cartoon. Hey, it's hard to find the time to wander off and post in the first place. Over the next few weeks I'll try to turn out a few 'simpler' cartoons in order to get back on track showcasing the interpersonal dynamics between the characters, which might free up a little time to post on a few more boards. I need to remind myself that you can say just as much by displaying a knowing look between two parishioners, versus drawing an entire congregation, which sometimes just for the sake of illustration I'm tempted to do.

Coach Marcus Borden

Grid coach had inherited prayer custom

Postings..

Thanks to Shelby Redd for recommending the cartoon. Cool Christian teen Zachary Williams has posted a recent Bush toon on his Xanga site. There's a link somehow related to Bartcop entitled Christian Conservatives Are Pathetic to my page of Pro-Bush toons; Travelinman at the Cincinnati Debate Society has posted the Cindy Surfs toon, as has Carol at Invision Power Board; Liberal at Yahooray has posted the We're Going To The Hunter S. Thompson Suicide Party! toon on a thread encouraging posters to Post an episode of your favorite web comic; Newfakename at Noiseboard posted my Cartoon honoring a group of mounties killed in the line of duty and Pig Of Denmark has posted a page of my toons without commentary.

I'd also like to thank Freepers at Free Republic for posting various toons as of late with recommendations to my work. I'm a Bush loyalist-sometimes it shows.

Harriet Miers

Both Charmaine Yoest at Reasoned Audacity and David Wayne at Jolly Blogger inspired today's cartoon, which I hope may be taken as a positive contribution to the current debate regarding Ms. Miers.

Thanks to Shelby Redd for recommending the cartoon. Cool Christian teen Zachary Williams has posted a recent Bush toon on his Xanga site.

Toon Ketchup

Click to view larger images.