Comics strips | Terry LaBan and Patty LaBan are bringing their syndicated comic strip Edge City to an end after 15 years. In his farewell message, Terry LaBan cites not only exhaustion but also a sense that the funny pages aren't what they used to be: "It’s rare to meet anyone who reads a newspaper anymore, at least anyone under the age of 50. Comic strips, which once occupied a place at the center of pop culture, have fallen completely off most people’s radar. As much as we love it, it’s depressing to work in a form that seems to have lost its relevance and is, for the most part, ignored." [The Daily Cartoonist]

Best of the year | Gary Tyrell looks at a couple of best-of-the-year lists and notices a strong webcomics presence, and he has this to say about The AV Club's list in particular: "Is it a coincidence that these comics come from a primarily female point of view, with main characters almost entirely women and a less-than-total emphasis on solving problems through fisticuffs. There’s lots about the value of relating to others on a personal level, and an overwhelming respect for empathy in all these books." [Fleen]

Best of the year | Here's an eclectic roundup from the contributors to Entropy, with selections ranging from indie comics to the Big Two. [Entropy]

Creators | Former editorial cartoonist Peter Dunlap-Shohl describes his experience with Parkinson's disease in his new graphic novel My Degeneration, published by Pennsylvania State University Press's new Graphic Medicine imprint. [Alaska Dispatch News]

Creators | Writer Chuck Dixon talks about his career, including his long stint on Batman. [The Ledger]

Creators | Gavin Aung Thang, in Mumbai for the Mumai Comic and Film Convention, talks about how he creates his webcomic Zen Pencils, one episode of which paid tribute to the late Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam. [Hindustan Times]

Graphic novels | Ian Williams rounds up 10 graphic novels that mix reality and fantasy, including Charles Burns' Black Hole, Jim Woodring's Fran and Renee French's The Ticking. [The Guardian]

Graphic novels | Kelly Knox compiles an annotated list of eight graphic novels for kids. [Geek and Sundry]

Retailing | Countering a recent column by retailer Glen Booth that argued that Local Comic Shop Day was poorly conceived, Andy Battaglia of Comics Etc. in Rochester, New York, explains how he built other promotions around the day to make it a success in his store. [ICv2]

Retailing | The merger of the Lawrence, Kansas, stores The Game Nut and Astrokitty Comics & More has created a three-story game/comics superstore that will open in February. [Lawrence Journal-World]