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Quad Cities USA - Guide to Davenport & Bettendorf Iowa and Rock Island & Moline Illinois
 

Comics And Anime Have Their Own Place Among Fine Art

November 20th, 2023
Comics And Anime Have Their Own Place Among Fine Art

Around seven or eight years ago, I went to my LCS on Wednesday. When I got there, a beautiful woman was there sitting in a chair and the owner was nowhere to be seen. She was in the Quad Cities from Michigan or Minnesota, someplace starting with M, selling coupon books door to door. She had stopped into Mellow Blue to sell whoever was inside a coupon book and because she’d developed a hole in her shoe and Tim had gone to try and fix it. I looked through my pull that week while we talked when she asked “Why do you read comic books?” To really answer that question I have to talk about Art.... Read More

A Stockingful of Commentary On Comics

March 28th, 2020
A Stockingful of Commentary On Comics

Sorry this is coming to everyone so late. I’ve got my normal job, all the side activities I’m involved in and then holiday stuff to divide my time up so small I’m surprised I find any time to sleep at all. This is of course compounded with the comic news cycle being slower then frozen molasses this time of year. Even what few stories I’m seeing aren’t really things I want to discuss at any length (https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/12/20/dc-comics-eric-m-esquivel-nightwing-previews/). A writer at DC is being accused of being an abusive creep, which other then saying... Read More

How Far Is Too Far In Comics?

April 1st, 2019
How Far Is Too Far In Comics?

While I was working on my list of comics to order from Previews last month I noticed a surprising change to two Marvel series I was ordering. I was looking over the Marvel catalog section of Previews when I noticed that two of the series I was ordering from Marvel had made a change to the pricing of their War of the Realms mini series and the Avengers tie in issue to the same event. The average comic book is thirty two pages long and averages four dollars per page. For some reason Marvel listed War of the Realms issues three and four where listed in Previews for thirty two pages for five dollars. Normally... Read More

Mighty Con Was A Pretty Mighty Con

September 6th, 2018
Mighty Con Was A Pretty Mighty Con

On Saturday and Sunday this Labor Day weekend was another Mighty Con. This time no one had to worry about the air conditioning going kaput, because it was held at the QCCA Expo Center which doesn’t have air conditioning. Which is definitely a creative way to address complaints. All kidding aside it was a decent weekend both for the convention itself and on a personal level. I arrived at the con early on Saturday, partly because I was with other people, partly because I had other things going on that day and needed time to get them all done and partly because we were aware that Saturday was... Read More

Anime-Zing Was Fun, If Somewhat Frustrating

August 13th, 2018
Anime-Zing Was Fun, If Somewhat Frustrating

After work on Friday the 13th I drove over to the River Center to pick up my badge and see some friends that were at the convention. I made a quick peek at the dealer’s room to see if what, if any, manga and anime dealers were at the convention this year. They did have a couple, so I looked through their wears and did find a couple series I was looking for. There was the complete series of Kat and Mouse, a Tokyopop original ‘manga’, in that it’s drawn in a vaguely manga style and was published by a company mostly know for publishing manga. My main interest in it was the... Read More

Was Now The Right Time For ‘The Punisher’ To Hit TV?

December 7th, 2017
Was Now The Right Time For ‘The Punisher’ To Hit TV?

Last month I read an article up on io9 titled “There’s Never Going to Be a ‘Right Time’ for The Punisher TV Series” (https://io9.gizmodo.com/theres-never-going-to-be-a-right-time-for-the-punisher-1819326835) and I wanted to address some issues I had. The core idea of the article I agree with; which is that given the level of gun violence in the United States there isn’t a week that goes by that would make a good week to release their show about a lone wolf mass shooter. Even if we only talk about real life mass shootings, between the Las Vegas shooting that closed the... Read More

Beam Down To Q-C Planet Con

July 27th, 2017
Beam Down To Q-C Planet Con

It is officially time for the 8th Annual Quad Cities Planet Comic and Arts Convention! Are you ready? This Saturday July 29 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. you are invited to the QC Planet Con at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center (226 17th Street Rock Island). Admission is only $5 for adults and kids 12 and under are free! Regional artists, writers and vendors will be available for your viewing, purchasing and conversing needs. There will also be plenty of Q&A panels, costume/cosplay contests for kids and adults and even some surprises! The Quad City Rollers will be in attendance (on wheels,... Read More

Was Mighty Con A Mighty Show?

June 27th, 2017
Was Mighty Con A Mighty Show?

It’s been a slow couple of weeks in the comic book industry, but that should be about to turn around. Summer is finally upon us, so convention season will start in earnest soon. San Diego Comic Con is a little more than a month away and with it all the major comic book news. Here in the Quad Cities though we kicked off the summer convention season with Mighty Con. Mighty Con started last year in the summer of 2016. It’s a two day show for comic fans and collectors. They had the first con at the Davenport Fair Grounds, to an amazing turnout from what I heard at the time. I wouldn’t know as... Read More

Comics Are Great To Read, Free Or Not

June 3rd, 2017
Comics Are Great To Read, Free Or Not

Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) is traditionally held on the first Saturday in May, but various comics shops have mixed things up to get new readers into the fold. Regardless, it’s been a great idea. FCBD has its start with Joe Field, comic book retailer and columnist for the Comic Buyer’s Guide, a now defunct comic industry magazine. He recommended the practice of comic book stores giving away to increase the readership of comics since people were going to the theatre to see comic book movies. His suggestion was very popular among his readers. Jim Valentino, one of the co-founders of Image Comics,... Read More

POW! BANG! It’s Time For Comic Con!

June 1st, 2017
POW! BANG! It’s Time For Comic Con!

Calling all comic book and anime fans! It’s officially time for Quad Cities Comic Con! With more vendors, artists and guests than ever, Quad Cities Comic Con will be happening at the RiverCenter (136 E 3rd Street Davenport) on June 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and June 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission for adults is only $10 for a single day or $15 for a weekend pass. Kids 12 and under are FREE! If you order your passes online in advance, you will be able to get in at 9:30 a.m. (a half hour before everyone else). In-advance passes can be purchased at: http://geekinccomics.com/event?content_id=24. In... Read More