Photoshop is easy to make gif images. All you do is open your animation panel. And then you will see your image in the first box. Well take everything off that you don't wanna show. Then create and new layer withing the animation panel and then click on the part that you wanna show. then click play and it will show you gif image in motion. If you want more stuff to happen with in your image. Just allow it to show when you make the new layer.
do you understand this if not then i will try to explain better.
Yeah as stated above photoshop seems to be the easiest in my opinion but i do acknowledge that not every one has photoshop. So great post im sure this will help people without specific programs.