Creating an animated cartoon seems like a pretty overwhelming endeavour, doesn't it? Well, you may be surprised to hear that it's not really all that hard. With the nature of the internet these days, internet cartoons are a dime a dozen and many artists can create them in less than a week if they're motivated enough. You also have options for there are several pieces of software out there that can help you in creating cartoons. Most of these softwares have 30 day free trials for you to download and experiment with, so you never have to take a gamble and spend a bunch of money on a piece of software you may or may not like.
In my opinion, out of all the software out there, I have found Adobe Flash to be the best option. You can do almost anything in it, from animating cartoons to creating interactive media. With Flash, while your skills evolve, the software is expansive and robust enough to never feel limited. Other softwares, like Anime Studio, while good for animation, aren't good for much else past that. And now with the new version of Adobe Flash, its animation tools meet and in many cases succeed that of rival softwares.
Okay, so you've tried out some animation softwares and found something that works for you. What now? How do you get started in making these cartoons? The good news is with places like YouTube and Google Video being so popular, you can find some great video tutorials on how to draw, animate and much more. Video tutorials are great for stuff like this because you can follow along with the lesson, pause the video, rewind it if you missed something, or replay it entirely if you need to watch it again. And if you want to really get into some elaborate lessons, many sites out there offer them at modest fees. Google is your friend, use it and use it often. If you have a question on the software you are using, just type that question into Google and you're bound to find a solution to your problem.
I can tell you I have learned a lot from watching tutorials, both paid and free versions. I now create cartoons and Flash media for a living. With a little motivation and some creativity, you'll be on your way to making cartoons for the world to enjoy.