The 1921 Martin 00-28* is a 12 fret guitar produced by C.F. Martin and Company (so known because the body meets the neck at the 12th fret, whereas most acoustic guitars made today meet at the 14th). It is made of Brazilian Rosewood with a spruce top and a mahogany neck so thick it could stand in as ...

by M A N I'm in the process of decompressing from Wondercon, but I wanted to take the time share this nifty little video with my fellow monkeys. The game follows the same premise as Ninja Warrior (on the awesome G4 TV) except this time the contestants must complete an obstacle course while on a bike...

by M A N I love working at conventions. Don't get me wrong, it's a lot of hard work that's both physically and mentally draining, but it's also genuinely fun. I sincerely enjoy getting the chance to talk with people about books (yes, mine especially) and socialize with colleagues. What isn't quite a...

by M A N Image: The Holy Grail of Les Pauls, the '57 Goldtop. From the iconic opening riff of "Sweet Child o' Mine" and the driving staccato rhythm of Led Zepplin's "Immigrant Song," to the weeping wail of Gary Moore's "Still Got the Blues," this behemoth is one of the most coveted instruments on th...

by M A N This is my guitar. There are many like it, but this one is mine (you can tell by the Cthuloid Cephalapod sticker). The Fender Stratocaster is one of the most recognizable guitars on the planet. Even on the off chance that its double cutaway shape and signature headstock don't look familiar ...

by M A N One of the most difficult things I've had to learn how to do as a professional writer is deal with criticism. It's a very important part of the job and is absolutely essential in making one a better writer. But if you have an ego as gargantuan, fragile, and as in desperate need of validatio...

by M A N Truman Capote said that he was like a semantic Paganini, that he could just throw words up into the air and they would come down in the perfect way. Must be nice, huh? Like most mortals, I toss my words into the air only to struggle with them for hours after they've tumbled haphazardly acro...

Hello all. My name is Michael Alan Nelson and, as John mentioned in an earlier post, I'm the writer of the comic series Fall of Cthulhu, the upcoming Hexed, and the online novel Dingo (it's free so go ahead and give it a look). He has been kind enough to let me play here in his dojo and share some o...