The Classic Cord was one Redline that eluded me for over 10 years of collecting. Up until recently, the Cord and the Olds 442 were the only 2 cars I didn’t have in my collection. Fortunately, that changed this past March when fellow collector Scott Jones offered me a fine Magenta piece from his personal collection (pictured below). The true stars of this article however, belong to Anita Smith (aka Chickluu). Anita is a top-notch collector, and I’m honored to have her allow me to showcase some of her fine examples of the Classic Cord. Anita has been collecting for over 8 years. She’s very knowledgeable with Redlines, and has some very pristine examples in her collection.

At one point in history, E. L. Cord controlled Auburn, Duesenberg, Cord, Lycoming, Stinson Aircraft and American Airways. In 1929, Cord introduced the L-29 – the first front-wheel drive automobile. When the stock market crashed, the luxury car market virtually slowed down to a standstill. E. L. Cord then commissioned Gordon Buehrig to create a baby Duesenberg. The result was a medium priced, front-drive car that became the 810 and 812 models introduced in 1936. The cars brought style and performance to the marketplace. Features included a coffin-nose, retractable headlights and V-8 power. The 812 was available in standard and supercharged version, and only 200 of the supercharged “Phaetons” were created. This supercharged 812 was the automobile Mattel modeled their Classic Cord after.

Mattel’s Classic Cord was designed by Larry Wood. This USA only casting featured a metal base and body and a metal engine with a supercharger sticking thru a lift-up hood. It’s plastic interior only came in black. Other features included a clear windshield, a lift off black plastic roof and of course, Redline tires.

Finishes were available in twelve spectraflame colors with the hardest to find currently being Hot Pink. This casting is very desirable among collectors. C8 examples sell in the range of $75-275 loose. The most valuable Cords are Hot Pink models with pristine loose pieces selling in the $1,900-2,500 range!

Credits: Anita Smith balance of the images. Magenta Cord from the RK Stickels collection. Cord Collectors of America text and images, Tomarts guide #6, Spectraflame-the essential guide.

Additional Redlines from Anita’s collection of cars can be seen in the following book, Hot Wheels Classic Redline Era: Hot Wheels – Birth of the Redline by Angelo Von Bogart (Hardcover – Sep 28, 2009).

There’s just a few weeks left until the Collector Experience rolls into Nashville from June 16th thru the 19th, and from the looks of things its going to be one heck of a convention! Collectors who have never attended a DiecastSpace convention before will see first-hand why these events are truly an “experience” and not just cookie cutter show. There’ll be something for everyone in Nashville no matter if you collect Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Johnny Lightning, Greenlight or M2 Machines. All brands of diecast are featured at the Collector Experience!

The three main days of the convention are packed full of great activities like Diecast Bingo, Diecast UNO, Downhill Racing, in-room trading, autograph sessions and vending machine pull sessions featuring the debut of the DiecastSpace Vending Machine that will be packed full of all sorts of goodies and special surprises. Add in the RAOK Party, Legends Dinner and Charity Auction and you have the recipe for a fun filled couple of days.

A variety of special guests are scheduled to attend the Collector Experience as well! Diecast personalities include Hot Wheels Designers Larry Wood, Eric Tscherne and Wayne Scott as well as Diecast Authors Mike Zarnock and Bob Parker. Ben “Cooter” Jones from The Dukes of Hazard is also set to make an appearance, so be sure to bring your General Lee castings for the autograph sessions! You’ll also find several of your favorite Pro Diecast Customizers like Bryan Pope and Chris Walker in attendance with some special limited edition diecast pieces for sale.

Of course, the main reason to attend a convention is for the cars, right? A wide selection of custom convention cars have been created for the weekend. Collectors attending the premium events such as Bingo and UNO will receive their special cars for those activities during the events themselves. Those attending the convention under a general admission ticket will still have the ability to browse and purchase any of the Collector Experience branded souvenir cars. Here’s a sneak peek of come of the various cars that have been created. Click on any image to see a larger version.

If all this weren’t enough, Liberty Promotions will be giving away a FREE VW Drag Bus to anyone who books three or more nights at the convention hotel on the trading floors! Information about tickets and accommodations can be found on ToyCarConventions.com, or you can book your hotel directly by calling (615) 259-2000 and using the group code “DIECAST.”

We hope to see you there!

Dips in the economy aside, its a really good time to be a diecast collector. There have never been more options to attend a live event and connect with fellow collectors for some fun in this hobby that we all know and love. This year features large events that will definitely peak your interest no matter what brand or scale you collect. Here’s a quick rundown of each in order of occurrence including links out to their respective sites to get more information:

The Nashville Collector Experience – June 16-19, 2011 – Nashville, TN

Diecastspace returns to their “Collector Experience” style convention that will include special presentations from sponsoring manufacturers as well as your favorite standard events like the Legends Dinner, Camaro Bingo, the RAOK Party, Diecast UNO, In-Room Trading,  Charity Auction, the Customs Contest, Downhill Racing, in-room trading and much more. This convention also marks the debut of the Diecastspace Vending machine which will be packed full of amazing diecast surprises.

Special Guests for Nashville include Hot Wheels Designers Larry Wood, Wayne Scott and Eric Tscherne, Hot Wheels Author Mike Zarnock, Tom Zahorsky from Johnny Lightning and Ben “Cooter” Jones from the Dukes of Hazzard TV Show.

The Canada Convention – July 13-17, 2011 – Toronto, Canada

The Canadian Diecast Convention returns for its second year at an all new location in Toronto. Mattel will be in attendance with the Hot Wheels Live Tour Trailer featuring awesome Hot Wheels displays and exclusive Hot Wheel merchandise that will only be available on the tour. The Official Hot Wheels Vending Machine will also be on hand which is always a blast. Other events will include the Legends dinner, RAOK party, downhill racing, Diecast UNO, Diecast Bingo, the customs contest, a Redlines seminar, in-room trading and much more. Sears will also be sponsoring a special event thats not to be missed!

The Special Guests for this event are still to be announced.

Lightning Fest - July 15-16, 2011 – Dyersville, IA

Lightning Fest is the main event to attend for the die-hard Johnny Lightning collector. Held each year at the RC@ Outlet store in Dyersville, Iowa, this FREE two day event is packed full of great family-friendly activities. Such activites include Gravity Racing, a customs contest, daily raffles, a Design forum, Diecast Bingo, charity auctions, a full-scale car show and in-room trading. The Diecastspace vending machine will laso be on hnad and stocked with lot s of great JL products and surprises.

A yet to be announced special celebrity guest from the Dukes of Hazzard TV show is also planned for the event.

KustomKon – August 4-7, 2011 – Dallas, TX

The Diecastspace KustomKon returns to Dallas this summer and features activities for diecast customizers and regular collectors alike. The focus of the conference will be a series of seminars for those who have never customized before all the way up through the advanced customizer. Regular collectors will enjoy in-room trading, the Legends Dinner, the RAOK Swap, limited edition convention cars and the Sunday toy show. All of your favorite professional diecast customizers are set to attend.

Special celebrity guests George Barris and Little Daddy Dennis Roth will be in attendance as well.

Hot Wheels Summer Smash – August 25-28, Warwick, RI

The Summer Smash returns for its fourth year and is New England’s ONLY diecast convention for 2011. All of your favorite activities are scheduled including a Customs Show for kids & adults, the Sunday Toy Show, Sizzler Racing, the Bob Parker trivia contest, the Liberty Promotions Treasure Quest, a Charity Auction and Dinner, Room to Room Trading, a Saturday Car Cruise, Down Hill Racing for kids & adults, an Interactive Customs Seminar by East Coast Real Riders and more. The Diecastspace vending machine is also scheduled to be on hand.

Special guests schedule to attend include Hot Wheels Designer Larry Wood,  Jimmy “The Box Man” Chavez, Tom Zahorsky from Johnny Lightning, Hot Wheels Author  Mike Zarnock, Hot Wheels and Matchbox Author Bob Parker,  Lee Pearlman from Liberty Promotions,  Chris Walker “Night Stalker”, Vince  V-Man Mosely, and Dave Chang

Last week the latest installment of Mattel’s “Ask a Designer” video series was released on the Official Hot Wheels YouTube channel, and this time around collectors got to have their questions answered by the legendary Larry Wood.

Larry provided some great answers to many of the common questions I’ve heard collectors ask over the years about the Hot Wheels design process and how cars get selected to be made. We also get an update on the 1:1 scale COE that Larry’s been building over the years. I can’t wait until he’s able to bring it around to the conventions!

Collectors who would like the opportunity to meet Larry in person should check out on of the conventions he’ll be attending this summer. He’s currently scheduled to be the guest of honor at the 2011 Collector Experience in Nashville, TN on June 16-19 and at the 4th Annual Hot Wheels Summer Smash in Warwick, Rhode Island on August 25-28.

In 2009, Larry Wood officially announced his retirement after 40 years with Mattel and what better way to pay tribute to a designer that has brought us so many cool casting then to  feature the Tri Baby. The Tri Baby was the first “concept car” Larry produced for Mattel.

This casting was released in 1970 in both a USA and Hong Kong version. It has a swing-up hinged rear opening engine cover that reveals 3 detailed turbine engines. It also features a wrap-around windshield in clear and blue glass, a plastic interior in assorted colors and redline tires. As with all early redlines, the base and body are cast in metal.  The finish was available in 10 spectra-flame colors with the hardest to find being metallic hot pink.

This casting is very desirable among collectors. C9 sell in the range of $40-$90.

Casting Comparison

Credits: Images from the RK Stickels collection. Tomarts guide #6, and Spectraflame – The Essential Guide.

Here are the next case code cars you should be seeing now in stores. They are case code ‘D’ out now and ‘E’ being stocked by end of January into February.

Basic releases:

’09 New Models: Fast Gassin’ in red/chrome.

’10 New Models:

’67 Chevelle SS 396 in red (pic’d) – ’67 Pontiac Firebird 400 in green (pic’d) – ’08 Dodge Charger Drift in blue (pic’d) – Tooligan in gold; Sting Rod II in yellow (pic’d) – ’09 Caddy CTS-V in black (pic’d) – VW Beetle in DK.red; Scorcher in red – Snow Ride in orange (pic’d) – ’08 Viper SRT-!) ACR in white – Fangula in purple (pic’d) – ’09 Corvette Stingray Concept in yellow – Backslider in green – Ghostbusters Ecto-1 (pic’d)

’10 HW Performance: Pass’n Gasser in red – ’41 Willy’s in yellow

HW Racing: Mustang Funny car in blue/purple – F-1 Racer in blue

Hot Action: Ford Thunderbolt in white – Bugatti Veyron in blue

HW City Works: Hummer H2 SUT in yellow

Heat Fleet: Custom VW Beetle in red w/flames – Jeep Scrambler in brown

Mystery cars: Hyundai Spyder in black w/flames – Nissan 350Z in purple – Duel Fueler in silver – Jaded in orange

Track Stars: Drift King in army green – Twin Mill III in green – Dieselboy in blue

Muscle Mania: ’70 Ply. Superbird in greens – ’67 Dodge Charger in blue – ’70 Buick GSX in blue – ’69 Pontiac Firebird T/A in black.

All Stars: Lamborghini Gallardo in black

HW Hot Rods: Bone Shaker in blue

HW Garage: La Fasta in silver

Race World: Cave- Evil Twin; Swoopy Do – Volcano- ’64 Lincoln Continental – Earth- Paradigm Shift (pic’d); Stockcar (pic’d)’ Speedway- Cadillac LMP; Saleen S7

Treasure Hunts: Classic Packard (pic’d) – Old # 5.5 w/wht. tires (pic’d) – 69 Talladega (pic’d)

Walmart special colors: ’40 Woodie in yellow – Ferrari 430 Scuderia in red – Ford Mustang 2+2 Fastback – FTE in yellow

Other series:

2010 Delivery series (Code “D, E, F,” all expected in Jan/Feb):

GMC Motor Home – ’55 Chevy Panel – ’56 Flashsider – Custom ’62 Chevy – ’59 Caddy Funnycar – ’83 Silverado – 50’s Chevy Truck (pic’d) – ’34 Ford – Combat Medic – Dairy Delivery – Anglia Panel – Cool One – VW DLX Station Wagon (pic’d) – Super Van – Hiway Hauler – Baja Breaker – ’69 Chevy Pickup – ’32 Sedan Delivery

HW Garage series 2010 (Code “D”):
Larry Wood: Custom ’66 GTO Wagon (pic’d) – Phil Riehlman: ’70 Chevelle SS – Wayne Scott: Chevelle Wagon (pic’d) – Neet Streeter (pic’d) – ’57 Chevy (pic’d) – Other cars: Fish’d & Dipp’d (pic’d) – Buick Le Sabre Concept (pic’d) – Ferrari 288 GTP (pic’d) – ’41 Pro-Mod Willy’s (pic’d)

Store Only Garage series Promo’s:

Walmart: Tail Dragger – VW Drag Truck – ’58 Ford Edsel

Target: Custom ’56 Ford Truck – ’64 Custom Galaxie – ’65 VW Fast Back

TRU: ’69 Pontiac GTO – Rat Bomb – ’70 Roadrunner

Speed Machines (Case ‘B’): Bugatti Veyron – Enzo Ferrari – Ford GTX-1 – Ferrari 575 GTC – Porche Carrera GT – ’07 Shelby GT 500 – Gallardo LP 560-4

* – Please note that this list was compiled based on information gathered by collectors from online research and personal finds at retail locations. The ability to find select pieces will vary based on geographic location and the frequency that your local retailer refreshes their stock.

The “In the Stores” column is brought to you courtesy of the Connecticut Valley Diecast Club

Up until now we have only been privy to the e-sheet of the upcoming Hot Wheels Deco Delivery that will make its “first timer as a limited edition premium” debut at the Summer Smash this August. However, Rhode Island Hot Wheels Club President Jim Lombari had a special treat for those attending the June meeting this week. Mattel shipped Jim the first sample to share, and I was there with camera in-hand to snap these first pictures of what is sure to be one highly desirable collector piece.

While very Jim was very tempted to rip it out of the package for a better look, it was decided that the sample would stay safely sealed so that it could become part of the Make-a-Wish Charity auction that will be held during the convention. For now, here’s some decent in-package close-ups to drool over!

The combination of Larry Wood’s design and Wayne Scott’s graphics make this a really sharp piece. The run is limited to 1000 pieces and they will be available for $20 each (plus tax) at the 2009 Hot Wheels Summer Smash.

This past weekend the two main Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels 6 convention cars were finally paired up when this incredibly good looking Bone Shaker arrived in Connecticut. With only 2000 being made, this piece is surely going to be sought after by collectors far and wide.

Click any image to see the larger version

The Bone Shaker will be available for sale to all attendees of Wild Weekend. Convention goers who purchase the Wild Weekend “H.O.T. Package” will get the Bone Shaker as part of their ticket purchase. Check out the official Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels 6 website for more information about tickets and convention activities.

[via wwhw6.com]

I still have tons more 2009 Super Convention content to share and this is definitely one of my favorites. Getting to see Mattel’s full-scale Twin Mill in person is always a treat, but to witness Hot Wheels design veteran Larry Wood helping to push and pull it into the convention space at Circus Circus was the coolest. Enjoy!

A short while ago I posted the e-sheet of the upcoming Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels 6 Street Rodder convention car. Just this past week these photos popped up on the official WWHW6 site and truly prove that is piece is just as awesome looking as the e-sheet hinted!

This this Larry Wood designed “new-for-2009″ casting will be available for the first time as a premium vehicle at the Wild Weekend. The more I look at these pictures, the hungrier I get. Maybe that has something to do with the license plate its sporting!

Click any image to see a the larger versions

Visit the official Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels web site for more information about the convention events, cars and ticket packages.

[via www.wwhw6.com]

Saying “I want your job” to Larry Wood actually has some potential now that he’s officially announced his retirement at the 2009 Hot Wheels Collector Nationals. If you think you’re up to the task, then check out this video posted by Mark from RaceGrooves.com. It features candid interviews, highlights from Larry’s career and gives a good look at what its like to be a Hot Wheels designer.

[via youtube.com]

Last week I posted some shots of the cool cars Bryan Pope of Pope Designs is creating for the Hotlanta Collector Experience. This time around I’ll wet your appetite with another Pope creation that will be available at the upcoming Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels 6 convention.

The pink beauty shown below will given to all the women who attend the Ladies Luncheon honoring Shirley Wood (wife of the “recently retired” Senior Hot Wheels Designer Larry Wood). The luncheon is limited to 50 ladies, so get your tickets soon before they sell out!

Visit WWHW6.COM for more information and pricing on Wild Weekend tickets and premium events.

[via wwhw6.com]

Here’s a selection of shots from the autograph sessions at the 2009 Hot Wheels Collectors Nationals in Reston, VA. The designers at the sessions included Larry Wood, Phil Riehlman, Howard Rees, Wayne Scott and Mike McClone.

One thing certainly became apparent as I was going through the process of grouping my convention photos together. I didn’t take as many photos of the convention attendees as I thought! Guess I’ll make a mental note about that for Reston. With that being said, here’s my set of various folks that I managed to take. Enjoy!

Special thanks to my sponsor, DiecastSpace.com for making my trip to the convention possible!

I had the fortunate opportunity to host the Ridemakerz Designer Round-Table Luncheon during at the 2009 DiecastSpace.com Super Convention. The event consisted of a panel that included Larry Wood, Carson Lev, George Barris, Luis Tanahara, Larry Andreini from Ridemakerz, Robert Russell from Shelby Collectibles, HWC Ryan from Mattel, Sean Taylor from M2, Chris Walker, Lee Pearlman from Liberty Promotions, as well as Jeff Nelson and Katie Roland from GreenLight.

The large panel only allowed for the opportunity to ask a small handful of questions since it took a decent amount of time to get through guests answers. At one point during the discussion I glanced over to see Larry Wood, “Big Lou” Tanahara and Carson Lev all doodling on their noted pads! At the end of the discussion I was lucky enough to snag two of the three drawings.

Click either image to see them up close

You’ll notice that Larry’s piece (pictured on the left) has “Door Knob Grille” written on it. He drew that part while George Barris was telling the story of how he and his brother “kustomized” their first car by putting their mother’s kitchen cabinet door knobs on the grille of their 1928 Buick – too cool!

I’m not sure who was lucky enough to grab Carson’s drawing, but I’ve heard it was an equally cool piece. Needless to say, these one-of-a-kind souvenirs will be framed and added to my collection as a perfect reminder of why I love this hobby so much! This round-table event was a dream to be a part of and I’m sure it will become a tradition at Super Conventions in the future.

Several full-scale show cars were on display in the main hallway at the convention. Shelby brought the Terlingua Cobra and a Super Snake and Dennis Roth brought the Bonneville Tric. Of course collectors really went nuts for the Hot Wheels Crazy Horse Funny Car and Mattel’s Twin Mill. Even Larry Wood himself helped HWC Chris and HWC Bryan roll the Twin Mill into the hotel!

Stay tuned for video footage of the cars entering the building as well as a special moment that got captured at the end of the convention when the Cobra was leaving the building!

Special thanks to my sponsor, DiecastSpace.com for making my trip to the convention possible!

Is it just me or does it seem that 2009 will be a great year to be a diecast collector? If there’s one thing to be said about our hobby, its there’s no shortage of diecast conventions in the near future! Here is a quick list of the best multi-day events happening across the country this year (listed in order of occurrence):

2009 DiecastSpace.com Super Convention
I’ve been talking about this “first of its kind” event for a while now, and its really shaped up to be one heck of a time! Its the first time almost all the major mainstream diecast manufacturers will be present under one roof. Mattel, Johnny Lightning, GreenLight, M2 and GMP as well as a gathering of the country’s top diecast customizers will descend on Las Vegas from February 18th – 22nd. If that wasn’t enough, the first ever Diecast Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be taking place to honor somme of the best names in diecast and the automotive industry.

Very few tickets are left to this great event. Visit the official Super Convention site for ticket availability and pricing.

9th Annual Hot Wheels Collectors Nationals
Unofficially dubbed the “East Coast” Hot Wheels Convention, this Mike Strauss run event moves from city to city each Spring. This year it lands back in Reston, Virginia from March 25th – 29th. The week is always packed full of great events and fantastic ion-room trading. This year’s special guests include Howard Reese, Mike McClone, Phil Riehlman, Wayne Scott and Larry Wood.

Tickets are on sale now and will be available until March 5th or when sold out (which ever comes first). They can be purchased online with a credit card or with a check and the mail-in form.

Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels 6
Randy Price’s Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels returns to Connecticut this year on July 30th – August 2nd. This year’s event will offer a variety of events including a Guinness Book of World Records attempt for the Longest Track. Convention vehiles are being produced by Mattel this year and special guests will include Larry Wood, Mike Zarnock, Bob Parker.

A variety of ticket packages are currently available on the official Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels 6 website.

Hot Wheels Summer Smash 2
Jim Lombari and the Rhode Island Hot Wheels Club are bringing the diecast fun back to Warwick on August 27th-30th for the 2nd Annual Hot Wheels Summer Smash. This year offers four full days of activities and convention vehicles from both Mattel and Liberty Promotions. Special guests include Larry Wood, George Soulakis, Mike Zarnock and Bob Parker.

The official Summer Smash website is up and tickets are now on sale.

23rd Annual Hot Wheels Collectors Convention
Traditionally the larger of the two “Strauss” conventions, this California based convention is usually the most grand seeing that Mattel is headquartered just up the road in El Segundo. Dates for this event typically land in October with the official announcement coming out shortly after the Nationals in Reston are over.

Some collectors felt that the 2008 convention was a little lacking in its 40th Anniversary year. Perhaps the 40th Anniversary cross-counrty tour drained a little bit too much from the coffer. It should be interesting to see how this convention compares to the others happening earlier in the year – especially since Mattel is participating in the all of them.

The world might be in an economic frenzy right now, but the future is certainly looking bright for the world of diecast!

Saturday Nitro kicks off 2009 with a show that sets the bar really high with Lead Hot Wheels Designer, Larry Wood as our special guest! Not only does this show contain over an hour and a half of great diecast discussion with Larry, but Super Convention chairman, Shane Whittenbarger shares some VERY special news about a new convention sponsor and partner!

Special thanks to American Collector’s Insurance for sponsoring the show!

As a reminder, these shows are done LIVE on Saturday nights which means that you can participate by calling in and asking questions directly to our special guests! Be sure to check the official schedule on the Saturday Nitro site for a list of upcoming shows.

Listen to the recorded show from the audio widget on this page or check out the catalog of previous shows on the Saturday Nitro page.

Here’s a quick set of some of the people from the diecast and racing industry that I met during SEMA 2008. While there were plenty of “booth babes” too, I refrained for filling my camera with T&A since there are plenty of other place to find those shots on the net. However, I did include one tasteful shot of the Toyo girls at the Toyo Tire booth. Enjoy!

Special thanks to my SEMA sponsor, DiecastSpace.com for making this content possible!

“WOW!” is first word that comes to mind after returning home from Las Vegas and four long days at the 2008 SEMA show. The event is truly a car enthusiast’s dream and definitely the place to be with over 120,000 attendees from around the globe enjoying the best of what’s hot in the automotive world.

From a die cast perspective, the manufacturer’s presence at the show was definitely pretty thin. The primary players this year were GMP Diecast, Shelby, M2 and Welly. Mattel was missing from the show this year however, Hot Wheels designers Larry Wood and Jerry Thienprasiddhi made appearances at the PPG and K&N booths respectively. The dynamic duo of Chip Foose and Carson Lev could be found at the BASF and Pirelli booths and Joe Kelly Jr. from The Car Room magazine shared some space with the GMP crew as well. Last but certainly not least, was “Big Lou” Tanahara and Bossco from The Custom Crew who let me camp out at the corner of the Rodtana booth and soak in the coolness of the Sledster!

Needless to say I took a TON of pictures and shot quite a bit of video over the course of 4 days. During the course of this week I’ll be grouping the shots and creating several small “themed” posts. All of the pictures will ultimately be up on my Flickr account, and I’ll update this post when they are finally up.

Special thanks to CJ and the crew at DiecastSpace.com for the sponsorship!

More to come – stay tuned!

This past week Hot Wheels gained some mainstream new attention with a great article on Newsweek.com in an article entitled “How a Tiny Toy Makes Big Bucks.” The entire piece is a great read and even mentions at the start that Mattel is currently worth more than GM!

Other notable quotes in the article come from the likes of Mattel Designer Larry Wood, famed collector Bruce Pascal, Hot Wheels convention mogul Mike Strauss and Mattel Senior VP, Tim Kilpin. Be sure to use the link below o make the jump to the original article. Its worth the read!

[via newsweek.com]