darkSpyro

Downloading

Paint You should alreadly have Paint on your computer, Paint will be for those who want to be quicker. If you have used Paint many times, you should get it done fast.
Gimp If you want your cartoon to be more high tech and with more effects, download the free Gimp. Gimp has many tools and special things for effects and backgrounds.
Blender 2.44 (I think so)
If you have some experience in 3-D animation then the free Blender 2.44 is for you.
Windows Movie Maker
Free for downloading or found on your computer, simple but easy to understand.

Animation

For animation, the simple old way is to just draw a picture on whatever drawing program you wish to use and save it. Then go to your pictures, find the picture and click on it and simply open it with Windows Photo editer or any program where you can copy and paste your image. Copy and paste the image onto Paint/Any drawing program.
Talking
Erase a bit under the front of the dragon's jaw. Then line the jaw again and colour in the erased parts. If shouting, crying, whispering etc, change the emotion in the dragons eyes.
Element
Simply do the same as talking only make three animations. Copy and paste the open jaw animation and draw an element coming out of your dragons jaw.

Voice acting

Plug in a microphone into your computer and open up a voice recording program, speak in the mircophone and then click stop. If you don't have a microphone, if you have a video camera see if you can record sound. If not, just import a subtitle on the movie program you use.

Thats all for now, I'll add more later, I take suggestions.

cool. this is very useful, thanx

Thanks

More coming soon

This is helpful, I might try it somtime.

Thanks!

here i made a pic on gimp, but it wont let me upload it onto imageshack or deviant art

Try Paint