In a previous article I talked about NPR’s coverage of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau being on the cover of Civil War Two: Choosing Sides #5 and how it seemed more like a Marvel PR stunt then official international news. This led me to wonder why comic books are so terrible at selling themselves. I can remember the first time I saw a television commercial for a comic book. It was about five years ago while watching Doctor Who reruns on BBC America. There was a commercial promoting Fables, a DC/Vertigo comic about how the Grimm Fairy Tales characters are adjusting to life in the 21st Century.... Read More

Hello! My name is Deborah Anne Davis, though most people call me ‘Debbie’. I’m also known as “QCAlegirl”, a term created to name my blog where I talk about beer, the Quad Cities, and many other topics, but mostly beer and the QCA, two of my passions in life – and that’s exactly what I’ll be talking about here, in my new column for QuadCities.com! I was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa. I studied at the University of Iowa and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, meaning I painted a lot of pictures and read a lot of books, mostly. A few years after graduation,... Read More

Remember when you’d spend your weekends hanging out with your best friends, staying up all night, eating tons of junk food, and watching your favorite movies in your super comfy pajamas? Well, four Iowa comedians are recapturing that nostalgia this Saturday, and turning the volume up to eleven. Chics with Bics, a brand new comedy show that encompasses stand up, improv, and sketch will be hosting a performance at the Blackhawk Room next to the Moline Bierstube on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m. The show is the brainchild of stand up comedian and improvisor Heather Nobiling, who sought to give the... Read More

It’s a case of the rich and the poor as fantasy football begins its season, as injuries and poor performance have collided with breakout performances and sleepers going wild. Here’s a look at the first week of the season . . . The Rich Denver Broncos RB C.J Anderson, in week 1, scoring over 46 (24 points over his projection) points in most leagues. Wasn’t too crazy on the Broncos for Fantasy offense, but they have another dimension, a Fullback.  They will run a lot to keep pressure off QB Trevor Siemian.  Don’t look for Anderson to do this every week.  Consider him a 2 RB. New England... Read More

To say Rock Islanders were a wee bit miffed about city officials blowing $15 million and getting stiffed by Walmart is like saying Bix Beiderbecke played around with music as a little hobby. The outrage has been justifiably hot. As I said in my last column, the city overspent by millions buying up decrepit properties on 11th street ostensibly to create space for a new Walmart which didn’t materialize. That money could’ve, and should’ve, gone to help already existing businesses owned by locals or to help local entrepreneurs looking to start up locally-owned businesses in the area. After all,... Read More

To say Rock Island made a colossal error in wasting $15 million to woo Walmart to 11th Street is a stunning understatement. But what’s perhaps saddest and most pathetic about it is its irony. Rock Island, like thousands of other cities across the country, will, at least once a year, pay lip service and throw promotional money at “small business weeks” and hollow pitches to “shop local.” City officials should’ve heeded their own advice in this matter. Aside from the property owners who were able to hit a stunning jackpot on selling their failed and crumbling 11th Street businesses at... Read More

NPR had an interesting piece I was listening to recently. Listening to NPR has been a recent change in my morning routine since most of the morning radio programming in the Q-C is either bad music or worse comedy. The piece they had was about the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, appearing in a Marvel comic. I found the article very frustrating because they referred to the comic several times, but they never once actually used the title of the book. I found the transcript of it on their webpage and the closest they come is referencing Civil War Two, the crossover event the comic they were... Read More

Last week I looked at the NFC, now it’s on to the AFC… AFC EAST Buffalo Bills Keeper – RB LeSean McCoy.  “Shady” has looked good in preseason!  Rex Ryan will run him a lot; if he stays healthy he could be a top 3 RB this year.  Round 3. Sleeper – TE Charles Clay.  WRs Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods will get plenty of looks, in the red zone look for Clay to get plenty of chances all season.  Round 4. Bust – RB Reggie Bush.  Someone always drafts this has been, always.  DO NOT DRAFT HIM!  A strong wind will blow in Buffalo and he will sprain an ankle and be out for... Read More

Bottoms Up Quad City Burlesque has been a strong presence in the Q-C nightlife scene since its debut five years ago. And, in all that time, as host and admin to our Facebook page, I have read so many messages asking for more. The requests for classes, auditions, bachelorette parties, festivals, and the list goes on and on. This year we were finally able to make a dream come true. The Bottoms Up School of Burlesque was brought to life after all this time. Over the past 15 weeks students have learned the building blocks to burlesque. Not only the “how to” but also what lies behind burlesque. If... Read More

“Really, I can actually write about fantasy football?” That’s what I thought after talking to QuadCities.com Director of Digital Media Sean Leary one night on social media. “Yeah, that’s what I’m hiring you to do!” he said. Sign me up! So, here are my first fantasy football musings.  I am going to focus on a keeper, a sleeper and a bust for each team.  This is going to be sooooo fun! NFC East Dallas Cowboys Keeper – WR Dez Bryant, is there even a question?  There are not a lot of options here.  I feel rookie RB Ezekiel Elliot will either get injured or suspended.  Dez,... Read More