I know, I know, I’ve already been remiss in blog-posting.  This is due, in part, to the bloody events of the weekend, events that don’t happen all that often in the City of Saint Francis.  (Sorry, Francis, but there are certain city ordinances that must be upheld.) 

Now that I can safely say I know something about killing (surprisingly cooperative) fowl, let’s move on to one of the most common questions asked at the Mark Fiore Industries Consumer Questions and Complaints Division.  “How do you make these cartoons?”

In this installment, I’ll explain the idea phase of my process.   

First up, Trolling-for-Topics.  I begin by reading the newspaper (Paper!)-- although most of my research is done online-- until something jumps out at me that makes me angry, strikes me as wrong or is hypocritical.  The best animation ideas usually have their beginnings in a news article that pisses me off.  This part of the process can happen gradually over the week(s) as I listen to the news, read or watch a bit of cable news.  (I generally avoid most television news because it tends to make me feel slimy after a while.)

Next, I crawl into my sketchbook, where I have been writing notes about various news topics.  Words, or an event may draw my attention—anything from depressing/sad news that