A friend and I are interested in making a little cartoon series, something that goes for say 5-10 minutes each(yeah thats still a lot of work :D) and I'd like some advice on where to start. We are both good with flash, but is there a better suited program out there? Also does anyone know of any sites with base images for talking? I've seen them once before, there was a human mouth which was shaped for different letters for talking. Anyway I'm really keen on this so any and all advice is wanted!! -Thanks-

Animation Software

For speedy 2D animation, nothing beats Flash. Thousands of professional studios use it for television work because it's well known, well supported and fast. There are dozens of other tools, of course (Bauhaus Mirage - discontinued, unfortunately, necessitating the purchase of the more expensive versions; Plastic Animation Paper), but they tend to lean more toward traditional cel animation techniques, in which each frame is redrawn. Some people animate that way in Flash, but the majority rely on its vector symbols library to construct animations.


Lip Synchronization Resources

I found the following by doing a Google search for "lip sync animation"; you should try that sometime.
Lip Sync Animation: Using an X Sheet
Tutorial: Lip Sync
Animation Notes #9: Lip Sync
Principles for Lipsync Animation

ah thank you, I wasnt sure exactly what to look up for it.
Thanks again.