Strangers in Paradise #2
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeStrangers in Paradise #2 is the second chapter of the miniseries that launched one of the most critically decorated creator-owned series in American comics history — a run that would ultimately earn an Eisner Award, a GLAAD Award, and a National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award. By continuing the story of Katchoo and Francine in a grounded, relationship-driven black-and-white format at a time when the direct market was dominated by flashy superhero books, the issue helped establish that a quiet, character-first indie series could sustain a passionate readership. The miniseries as a whole — and this issue as an essential piece of it — demonstrated that the self-publishing model pioneered by creators like Dave Sim and Jeff Smith could be carried forward into genre-blending, LGBTQ-inclusive storytelling that reached audiences well beyond the traditional comics fanbase. The three Antarctic Press issues were subsequently collected and reprinted multiple times, cementing their status as the foundational documents of the entire SiP universe.
In Strangers in Paradise #2 (1993), Terry Moore delivers a sharp, character-driven installment with his signature blend of humor and emotional tension. When Francine’s heartbreak over Freddie’s betrayal sends her into a chaotic spiral, Katchoo’s simmering anger takes a dangerously personal turn—leading to a moment that leaves Francine reeling and the stakes higher than ever. With all art, inks, and letters by Moore himself, the cover by Moore captures the escalating drama in bold, expressive detail.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Terry Moore drew the first issue of Strangers in Paradise on nights and weekends at his kitchen table, originally intending it as a portfolio piece to land work at a major publisher. After sending photocopies to various publishers and receiving rejections, Antarctic Press — an imprint based in San Antonio, Texas, then known primarily for genre and anthropomorphic titles — responded to his blind submission and offered him a contract for a three-issue miniseries; Moore later described it as 'a weird marriage, but it worked,' noting that Antarctic helped him get set up with distributors. Issue #2, cover-dated December 1993, followed the debut by roughly one month, continuing a miniseries Moore admitted he was largely improvising his way through, with no certainty it would lead anywhere beyond those three issues. The success of the completed miniseries was enough to prompt Antarctic Press to reprint issue #1 multiple times and to eventually collect the arc into a trade paperback, while Moore himself declined a follow-on contract with Antarctic and launched his own Abstract Studio imprint in 1994 to self-publish the ongoing series.
Trivia · 7 facts
- Published December 1993 by Antarctic Press, written and drawn entirely by Terry Moore; the second of three issues in Volume 1 of Strangers in Paradise.
- Story title: 'Katchoo's Revenge!' — the narrative centers on Katchoo exacting retribution against Freddie Femur while Francine recovers from an accident.
- Second appearance of the core cast: Katchoo (Katina Choovanski), Francine Peters, David Qin, and Freddie Femur, all of whom debuted in issue #1 (November 1993).
- Supporting characters appearing in this issue include Katchoo's friend Debbie, neighbor Mrs. Biddybutty, neighbor Richard and his wife Dora, and a character identified as Hooker Ginger — expanding the social world around the leads.
- Reported print run figures from seller listings vary between approximately 2,000 and 2,300 copies, making it among the scarcest single issues in the entire SiP run.
- The complete Volume 1 miniseries (issues #1–3) was later collected in The Collected Strangers in Paradise Volume One (Abstract Studio, 1994–1995) and subsequently incorporated into larger reprint editions including The Complete Paradise Too.
- The series that grew out of this miniseries won the Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story in 1996, the GLAAD Award for Best Comic Book in 2001, and the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award for Best Comic Book in 2003, and has been translated into seven languages.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Strangers in Paradise #1 (1994), Strangers in Paradise Gold Reprint Series #2 (1997), Strangers in Paradise #1 (1998)
Key issues in Strangers in Paradise
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