Toon 4/30/05

Toon 4/29/05 Preview

My first cartoon nude (nude cartoon, me in pajamas) if you can overlook the fact that Timothy A. Bear has never worn pants.

Toon 4/28/05 Completed

4/27/05 Toon In Progress

The cartoon for the RFMF is taking longer than anticipated, so here's an image started a few weeks ago, also in progress. I'll post a color version later today.
Chris and I have both entered the second week of our colds. Yesterday I distracted myself from constant sinus pressure by visiting the Mall of America and watching a little of the Minnesota Vikings cheerleader tryouts (silly but cheery) and visiting the Sanrio store, where I stocked up on Hello Kitty automatic pencils.

A gallery of moving and highly spiritual photographs taken by an agnostic gentleman named Salim Madjd at John Paul II's funeral.

2004+ Favorites Archive

Here's a flash gallery of some of my favorite cartoons from 2004 onwards, which represents roughly half of my output during this time period. The gallery isn't perfect; a duplicate Mother Teresa painting as well as a few toons from 2003 snuck into the mix, but it should serve the purpose of giving a general impression of the cartoon. Included are individual cartoons culled from a number of series which for one reason or another I felt were worth presenting on their own.

This is a really big 191 cartoon download. Those with a 56k modem should have enough time to run off and adopt a cat or have their toenails professionally decorated before it's through downloading.

Toon 4/25/05 Completed

A new toon drawn by request for the Republic of Fiji Military Forces will be posted later this evening.

Please welcome these new faithmouse links and toon affilates-

Toon 4/24/05 In Progress

Christpilot has found time during his duties in Iraq to post RMK Online.

Toon 4/22/04

Pope Benedict XVI, cat lover.

4/20/05 Toon Completed

If you compare this version with the previous image posted below, you can see I ran into a problem with the appearance of Pope Benedict XVI, who's power tiller just wouldn't fit into the space I had allotted. The solution was to find an alternative way to position Ms. StarMole. My solution was to 'chop' the top left hand side of the second panel to the shape of Ms. StarMole's chair, and position her accordingly. I balanced the thought (and the panel) by similarly bracketing the lower right hand corner.

This color version replaces the black and white toon posted previously. I changed the lettering to a font style to improve screen readability; if you click on the toon you can view a much larger version which still retains the hand lettering.

The cover photo on the 'Relativist Times' is of Terri Schiavo; the back cover is a photograph of an aborted child from the Priests for Life site.

Toon 4/20/05 Toon in progress

I can't brag that I can suffer a cold well, although I try not to complain too loudly in my misery. Over the past two days I've drank enough Dayquil to put a Meth Lab out of business. It helps to stay away from illuminated computer screens, as staring into Blogger for too long in this state tends to burn an image onto the back screen of one's brain.

I've backtracked and added the past few days worth of toons to the blog. Today's toon, which is a bit involved, is still in process.

Cardinal Ratzinger is now Pope Benedict XVI, and that's wonderful news for Christians everywhere. One reason Pope John Paul II attracted so many younger people to the church was his well known wealth of apologetics, something Benedict XVI shares in common. In a world of relativism, our last two Popes offer scholarly authority to those searching for sound reasons for their faith.

Purists would be horrified by the way I construct my cartoons. I ink with a red Marvy marker assisted by dollops of correction fluid, all plied mostly on graph paper (many times drawing on both sides of a sheet of paper) which I then scan into Photoshop and arrange using the layers palette. This technique allows me the freedom to construct a better snoze for Ms. StarMole on the back of a bank deposit envelope while waiting on a red light. The challenge is not to misplace or forget about these various scribblings, which are like mysterious pieces to a puzzle of which I've never seen the cover. If anyone ever wished to buy one of my original cartoons I'd have to sell it to them in a shoebox.

While the cartoons are a constructed collage, my pencil drawings are done whole. Here's a drawing in progress of Michelangelo's Pieta (pity) which I started a few days ago (seeing the original at the 1964 New York World's Fair is one of my earliest memories)-

Toon 4/18/05

A reworking of the toon posted earlier on Monday.

Toon 4/15/05 Tax Day

As bad as tax day can be, I bet you've never stepped on an actual tax. At least not on tax day itself.

If that thought doesn't brighten your day, Shields and Yarnell are still together and available for bookings.

Thanks to for showing the regularly updating toon.

Toon 4/14/05

Toon 4/13/05 Christpilot

Dan,
We have finally gotten really settled in here at Taji, Iraq and we are up and running with internet connections in our hooches. Not a bad deal. Here are a few pictures of me taken by our Public Affairs guys a month or so back and a few pictures taken by me. The one with the flares launching and the one flying over the mosque were taken by me.
Hope all is well with you.
'Christpilot'

Postscript: This is the second version of the cartoon posted. I hope you'll never see the original, and here's why-

From: Faithmouse
Date: 04/13/05 13:56:33
To: Christpilot
Subject: faithmouse, version two

Just learned that a thumbs up sign can mean 'up yours' in the Middle East.
Don't think I've ever redrawn a cartoon faster.

From: Christpilot
Date: 04/13/05 16:01:12
To: Faithmouse
Subject: faithmouse, version two

I am laughing my butt off and rolling on the floor right now. I was just looking at the one on the web page and noticed the change. But, it didn't click as to why.

Although giving the thumbs up sign in their culture is like flipping the bird, and the OK sign is calling someone a camel's butt and very offensive, most understand that culturally the thumbs up is not a bad thing for Americans. In fact, most of the people that seem to support us here will usually give us the thumbs up. So I don't think you have insulted anyone that may have seen the original version - and if they were, they need to lighten up a little.

I am on a night schedule right now and am just getting out of bed and you really started my day out right. I appreciate that...

Toon 4/11/05

This cartoon breaks my vow of silence for the past month. It also makes me feel a heck of a lot better about life in general. If Bill Clinton can both besmirch the legacy of the Pope and compliment turkey burgers during the same Air Force One flight, there's still hope for the survival of the species. Let us be encouraged both by the existence of a Culture of Absurdity and it's preferred political affiliation.
SpongeBob Shorts
Turkey Burgers

Toon 4/10/05 preview

Grateful Dead Degeneration: George Felos, Judge George Greer and Michael Shiavo.
Online petition to Impeach Judge George Greer from Petition Online.com (your email address won't be harvested.)

Toon 4/9/05

Events in Rome are affording me the excuse to display one or two drawings made a few years ago during a pilgrimmage with Chris to Vatican City. Today's 'cartoon' (in it's classical definition) features the bell which tolled at the end of the Pope's funeral. In the foreground to the left of the Basilica stands the large statue of Charlemagne. On scene sketching such as this is probably my favorite artistic activity and the one which I seem to do the least.

God bless and bring healing to Faithmouse fan Lyle Borrowman on the challenges to his health.

A belated nod to Denny and Rick at Red State Law for their kind comments about the cartoon.

Christian Preterist Virgil at Virgils Blog posted the most recent Terri Schiavo/John Paul II cartoon, which I very much appreciate. This particular toon is also posted on my imaginary itinerary for the redo it deserves.

Two more Terri Schiavo cartoons on the docket, including another with Terri and John Paul II.

Toon 4/08/05

Toon 4/7/05

Somehow I completely forgot that I subscribe to RAI, which has nearly continuous coverage from Rome. I've been back and forth in front of the television and in and out of the house, giving my 'hobby Italian' a workout and puttering around in the yard now that it feels like spring here in the upper Midwest. As for cartoons, I've started three and they're all lousy. The cartoon I've forced myself to finish for today is overworked and failed but will have to do. The point I was reaching for is that even after everything the Pope accomplished he found the strength while dying to stick up for a defenseless disabled woman. Or, on another level, the mission of the Church is to care for the most helpless among us, and in this way we can affect the grander events of history, one personal history at a time.
I think this might make a pretty good cartoon on a second attempt. My apologies.



I'd like to welcome Joe Doe News, which has been the first to post the new RSS feed for the cartoon.

Purchased C.S. Lewis and the Catholic Church, which I recommend if you're a Lewisphile like me. The cover is a picture of Lewis perched on a rock at Stonehenge. Can't do that anymore, although The Original Faithmouse enjoyed that experience when she spent 1967 in Europe with her family, which is why her German is much better than my Italian.

I'm looking for a big shoe to kick myself in the bottom with so I can get back on track with whatever it is I do.

Toon in progress 4/5/05

I usually post new work on Monday, but I've been depressed for the past two days and haven't been able to do much except research and reflect. I've watched the excellent coverage from Rome on Fox which in my opinion has surpassed the coverage on EWTN, including yesterday morning's emotionally draining procession of John Paul's body from the Papal apartments to St. Peter's Basilica. Off camera and to the far left of the Pope's body (the 'hole' behind the Pope is actually the crypt where John Paul II will be interned with previous Popes) is Bernini's Tribute to Alexander VII, which I sketched on the scene. I'll hunt down and post my drawing sometime later this week. I also did a drawing inside the Sistine Chapel, the locale of the next Pope's election, which I posted online three years ago on a long orphaned page.
I've received a number of emails from fans suggesting John Paul II and Terri Schiavo cartoons. The suggestions are inspired and I'll do my best to present a few of your ideas during the next week or two.
The cartoon above is half finished. I should have the entire toon posted later today (Tuesday) along with links to a few new affiliates.

Toon 4/2/05

Another large download, but it will take you into a crowd of pilgrims waiting to see Pope John Paul II one overcast morning in October 2000. In front of you is the Egyptian style obelisk which marks the center of the Square, behind you is St. Peter's basilica. The Pope's apartment is the building just above the colonnade to the far left.

Toon 4/1/05

When Chris and I traveled to Italy during the Jubilee Year we were fortunate enough to attend a Wednesday audience in St. Peter's Square. During the Pope's address to the crowd I paused to photograph some of the faces around me; they comprise the subject of today's 'cartoon.'
A much larger panorama can be obtained by clicking the image. Be prepared for a rather lengthy download-about a minute on a 56k modem.
A word of thanks to all the protestors at the hospice in Florida, and to all of the lawmakers who worked so hard to save Terri Schiavo. We're proud of you! Although it may not seem so at the moment, good work like this is never done in vain. We should feel assured that God has already made use of our efforts to His benefit.
New cartoons return on Monday.