This animation was begun by scanning a 1996 US postage stamp at 1200 dpi on an Apple ColorOneScanner. The writing from the stamp was skillfully removed in Adobe PhotoShop. Then the mammoth's tail was removed and the background was (again skillfully!) painted in behind the tail. The tail was then rotated successively and placed in different positions in a series of GIF images which act as frames in the animation. For greater realism, the tail was modified slightly from frame to frame. The GIF files were then combined in GifBuilder 0.4.1, a freeware program available on the Internet. Total time for the project, including learning GifBuilder: about two enjoyable hours.
The original picture of the mammoth is probably copyright by the US Post Office. If so, hope you don't mind my using it, Post Office. I am not charging for its use, and in fact I am publicising your stamps. So, no harm done, right? Also, I don't know the name of the original artist. I am trying to find out, so that I can credit the original drawing.
Can I copyright the animation? If so, I hereby do: copyright 1996 Paul S. Boyer.
If not -- oh, well. In either case, you are free to use it if you like it, but please give me some credit: I get little enough these days.
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