Terry Moore's long-running self-published comicbook "Strangers in Paradise" is coming to an end.

The writer and artist of the series announced in the most recent issue that #90 will be the final issue and is set to arrive in May 2007. The series had its origins as comic strip but debuted in a radically different form as a three-issue comicbook series in 1993. A second self-published series followed, and then came a third series that began at Image in color before reverting to Moore's Abstract Studio label and its original black-and-white format. The book's tale of a trio of friends who have varying crushes on each other had a nice mix of comedy and serious drama that helped it appeal to women and men who didn't normally read comics.

More than anything though, the era of the self-publishing movement espoused by Dave Sim that took hold in the 1980s and early 1990s seems to be coming to a close. Sim wrapped up "Cerebus" last year and with Moore's announcement that leaves only a few high-profile creators still following that model. Among the most notable are David Lapham of "Stray Bullets" fame and Batton Lash with "Supernatural Law."

In the past ten years, the pitfalls of self-publishing and the rise of smaller press houses has made the model a tough one for anyone to make succeed the way it used to. It's far easier for creators to go with smaller startup companies even if they have to give up some of the rights and control that were major selling points of self-publishing.

For the biz at large, though, the end of SiP shows another problem. Even ten years ago, in the midst of a massive market crash, there was a receptiveness to original ideas and voices that allowed Moore, Lapham and others to make a go of very distinctive and original voices in comics. While today the quality of comics is generally high, new ideas and comics that evoke the same sort of interest and sense of discovery that Moore did when SiP first hit have been much tougher to come by.

And perhaps it's Hollywood's fault. With comics being so difficult a market to crack, most new comics ventures are in spirit if not in fact trying to develop its titles into properties that can be sold to film, TV or videogames because that's where the money is. It's a solid business practice, but it appears to have had a subconscious effect on the comics biz and new concepts seem more tailor made for movie pitches than for distinctive comics.

The list of titles publishers are prepping for the fifth annual Free Comic Book Day on May 6 is out. There's the usual suspects in the Gold Level and the Silver Level. Marvel's decision to create a new 11-page story for its X-Men/Runaways giveaway is a nice surprise, giving visibility not only to the X-Men a few weeks before X3 — rumored to be subtitled "The Last Stand" — hits theaters, but it showcases a really good book in Runaways that can grow its audience through this exposure. That makes DC's decision to pass out a reprint of Justice League Unlimited #1 look a little stale in comparison, when they could have pushed the superb All-Star Superman #1 in advance of "Superman Returns."

Devil's Due Press has landed the rights to publish "Family Guy" comics. According to ICV2, three bimonthly issues written by TV writer Matt Fleckenstein with art by Benjamin Phillips. Each issue will be 48 pages, with the first set to arrive in April.

The sales rankings for comics specialty shops are out for December, with DC's Infinite Crisis #3 and All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #3 topping the charts. Marvel was hot on DC's heels with New Avengers #14 and strong sales for Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #1 and The Ultimates 2 #9.

Estimated sales numbers from ICV2.com and CBGextra.com had the top six books each moving more than 100,000 copies.

Each had five books in the top 10. Conan #23 was the top-selling book from another publisher at No. 60 on the list. Spawn #151, Street Fighter II #1, Conan and the Demons of Khitai #3 and Hunter-Killer #5 were the other non-Big Two books to crack the top 100.

In graphic novels, DC did well in comics shops with "Villains United," "Fables, Vol. 6: Homelands," and "Rann-Thanagar War."

Overall, Marvel had a 45% dollar market share, while DC pulled in 34%.

That wraps up a year in which CBGextra says the comics speciality market grew 7.3% over 2004 for overall sales of $352 million. The site breaks it down as a 3.9% increase in comics dollars and an 11.8% hike for graphic novels. ICV2 posts similar numbers, saying comics were up 4% for the year and graphic novels were up 10%.

CBG's John Jackson Miller says that adding in sales of comics and graphic novels sold through newsstands, bookstores and subscriptions would put the market at more than $400 million, making it the best year for the industry since 1996.

TV Guide is among those reporting WB has plans for a new Superman animated DVD feature that will reunite much of the talent behind the mid-1990s TV skein. Titled "Superman: Brainiac Attacks," the DVD will feature voice work from Dana Delany and Tim Daly, reprising their roles as Lois Lane and Clark Kent/Superman from the skein. Pic is expected out later in 2006.

Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk writer Damon Lindelof became perhaps the first comics pro to accept a trophy on a major awards show when "Lost" won a Golden Globe for best dramatic series, but comics have been a part of the GLAAD Image Awards for a while. The group has announced its nominations, and the noms in the outstanding comicbook category are:

"Gotham Central" by Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker (DC Comics)
"Strangers in Paradise" by Terry Moore (Abstract Studio)
"Top Ten: The Forty-Niners" by Alan Moore (ABC Comics/Wildstorm)
"Y: The Last Man" by Brian K. Vaughn (Vertigo/DC Comics)
"Young Avengers" by Allan Heinberg (Marvel)

The GLAAD Awards will be broadcast April 15 on Logo and again the following day on VH1.

Tonight's the 100th episode of "Smallville," and to celebrate Daily Variety published a special report. on the show's anniversary in today's edition. The special looks at the show's success and includes an interview with star Tom Welling and an article by yours truly on the show's connection with comics fans that includes quotes from DC prexy Paul Levitz and Wizard chief Gareb Shamus.

Wonder Con, set for Feb. 10-12 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, has announced a trio of world premiere screeings. From the press release:

On Friday, February 10, 2006, Done The Impossible: The Fans’ Tale of Firefly and Serenity will screen exclusively for attendees at WonderCon. This film documents the tireless efforts of a group of fans of the cult hit television show Firefly as they try (and succeed) to have the television show developed into a feature film. This documentary includes interviews with Firefly and Serenity (the feature film based on the series) creator Joss Whedon and cast, crew and most importantly, the fans themselves.

On Saturday, February 11, 2006, Marvel Animated Features, and Lionsgate will hold the world premiere screening of the much-anticipated animated feature Ultimate Avengers: The Movie.  Based on the popular comics characters, Marvel’s mightiest heroes come to life in their first animated film. In a special promotion, the top 25 attendees arriving to the screening dressed as their favorite Ultimates or Avengers hero will have the opportunity to be one of the first to own the DVD before it’s released!

On Sunday, February 12, 2006, Fox Home Entertainment presents the World Premiere Screening of the new DVD release Broken Saints. This groundbreaking web series fuses anime style art, comic book lettering, music and Flash animation into a 12-hour fantasy/horror epic, the first three episodes of which will be screened at WonderCon. Broken Saints was the winner of the 2003 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for Online Animation.

Variety New York reporter Steven Zeitchik examines the prospects for Marvel and DC movie properties once the A-list crew of Superman, Batman, Spider-Man and X-Men has been exhausted.

He’s pretty much spot on in saying it’ll be tougher the older and more obscure the superheroes get, especially as more filmmakers look to indie comics such as “A History of Violence” or “Sin City.” Even anime and manga are possible threats. There is an unacknowledged cycle to the business, though, that makes it likely that some film or TV version of Superman or the X-Men will always be out there and that these franchises have the flexibility to be reinvented the way WB did with “Batman Begins.”

It will be fascinating though when the current generation of manga readers hits adulthood and we start seeing the same sort of serious attention and money put now into superheroes into bringing manga to life on the screen.

Filming is underway for “Spider-Man 3,” with actress Bryce Dallas Howard joining the cast as Gwen Stacy. The actress is the daughter of Oscar-winning director Ron Howard and best known for her role in M. Night Shayamalan’s “The Village.”

As Spidey fanboys know, Gwen Stacy was one of Peter Parker’s many g.f.’s back in the swinging 1960s. Gwen was sweeter than party girl Mary Jane, but blamed Spider-Man for the death of the death of her police captain father. Of course, Spidey was innocent, but the angst made perfect fodder for the soap opera being spun by Stan Lee and artists John Romita Sr. and Gil Kane. The Gwen Stacy tale came to a tragic end in the classic Amazing Spider-Man #121-122, when Peter tried to save her after she was thrown from the top of the George Washington Bridge and the whiplash from his web snapped her neck. Her death has become perhaps the second-most important story in Peter’s life after his origin, even as the character moved on to eventually settle down with Mary Jane.

For a dead girl, Gwen still gets around. A story called “Sins Past” that ran in Amazing Spider-Man last year was the latest to touch on the Gwen Stacy mythos, which has included plenty of clones and more than its share of controversial ret-conning.

How Gwen fits into the movie will be interesting. The bridge scene was adapted to Mary Jane in the first film, with Spidey saving her. Captain Stacy seems like a strong possibility now. And it’s kinda fun to think about swapped roles, as the redheaded Howard plays blonde Gwen and blonde Dunst plays redhead Mary Jane.