Articles by Nick Martens

Belgium: A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Nick Martens finds the only thing compelling enough to leave lovely Amsterdam: the Star Wars exhibit in Brussels.

Netherlands: Cookie Cavalcade

Nick Martens reports from Amsterdam with an exclusive exposé on the dark secrets of the city’s chocolate cookie industry.

Considering Pitchfork.tv

Nick Martens runs down the successes and shortcomings of Pitchfork Media in an attempt to divine the potential impact of the company’s new online music television channel.

Netherlands: The View from Dam Square

Nick Martens contrasts a typical scene in Amsterdam’s Dam Square with a picture of the plaza during a protest.

Netherlands: Superheroes and Schlemiels

Megageek Nick Martens visits Amsterdam’s Jewish Historical Museum’s new exhibit on the history of Jewish comics artists.

Free Yourself from Reviews

Should critical reception of art dissuade our enthusiasm towards it? Nick Martens discusses how reviews affect our opinions before we buy a movie ticket or listen to an album.

Netherlands: Canal Culture

Nick Martens delves into the history of Amsterdam’s intricate and pervasive canal system, which runs through the city like blood vessels.

Netherlands: A Curious Casino

Nick Martens takes a trip to the Holland Casino and finds that Amsterdam’s idea of gambling is nearly the opposite of what we come to expect from Las Vegas.

Netherlands: The Bicycle

Though Amsterdam is often associated with its sexual promiscuity and liberal policies regarding recreational drug use, adventurer Nick Martens discovers that the city’s most stimulating feature is its bicycle culture.

Netherlands: A Hotel and a Cautionary Tale

This is the first installment in a series of essays by adventurer Nick Martens, who is currently studying at the University of Amsterdam. Arriving a few days before his program at the University of Amsterdam begins, Nick Martens relates a pair of anecdotes regarding the quirks of descending into an unfamiliar culture.

From Tacoma to Santa Fe, Day 1

On his 1,500-mile road trip, Nick Martens finds comfort in LCD Soundsystem and Malcolm Gladwell while battling the frustrations of snowy weather, bad traffic, and Idaho.

Why Ringtones are More Valuable than Mp3s

Does the consistent decline in sales of recorded music mean the end of music? Probably not, but clearly the game is changing. Nick Martens contrasts the abstract value of digital music with its more concrete incarnations–concerts, music videogames, and ringtones.