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Underground > Comic Books >

I want my Flex Mentallo!

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23:42 / 27.02.02

Please, someone help! I got Flex Mentallo 3 & 4 like a year ago and haven't been able to read them cause I don't have 1 & 2. It's been a year and I can't find them anywhere. Please, if someone here wants to sell (give?) me these two issue let me know. Hell, if you want to only lend then to me I swear I'll mail them back to you, I'm honest like that.

00:16 / 28.02.02

Sorry, I'm missing issue 1 myself. I've been looking for it for a few years. I guess I'll have to break down and surf the net for it. Damn shame considering there are more comic shops here in Atlanta than there are good comics.

01:02 / 28.02.02

There's a continual fan outcry for DC to publish a FLEX MENTALLO trade paperback.......maybe they'll do it one of these days, if we keep pestering 'em.

Matthew Fluxington

02:28 / 28.02.02

That DC has no plans to put out a Flex Mentallo trade paperback defies all logic and reason: it's one of the most critically acclaimed comics Vertigo has ever published, and rereleasing it, they will likely get even more accolades.

And nevermind the fact that the creative duo who made it are the two men behind the #1 comic in the industry. Only fools would not capitalize on that...

03:04 / 28.02.02

Somehow I doubt DC comics enjoys being sued. Even though they won the case against the Charles Atlas company, odds are they're going to play it safe from here on in. We probably won't see a Flex trade for a long time, if ever.

"Plaintiff contends that it was unaware of DC's trademark infringement until January 6, 1998, when it received an e-mail from an unknown individual named Ken Kneisel who informed plaintiff that "he heard about Charles Atlas from reading DC Comics' Flex Mentallo series." Hogue Aff. ¶ 30; Pl. 56.1 ¶ 27.6 Plaintiff's counsel then sent a cease and desist letter to DC at plaintiff's direction on January 14, 1998. Hogue Aff. Ex. H. Since then, DC has not utilized the Flex Mentallo character in any of its publications and "has no present plans to reprint or redistribute any of the Doom Patrol issues including Flex Mentallo or any issues in the Flex Mentallo series." Godfrey Decl. ¶¶ 11-12; Hogue Aff. ¶ 33. See also Hogue Aff. ¶ 42; PI. Mem. at 17 (reciting that DC "aborted" a 1998 trade paperback that would have included the Flex Mentallo character once DC had received Atlas's cease and desist letter)."

From this site. Also, an abridged version of the above and info in the New York Times.

11:09 / 28.02.02

well, i'd be willing to lend you my #2, but alas, i am also missing the first one. so it might not be much use to you. great DKR ripoff cover, IIRC

11:16 / 28.02.02

The DKR rip-- er tribute cover iss the issue 3 cover (which is the issue that I'm missing BTW) perhaps a massive buy up/swap meet is in order- buy flex when you see it and then exchange here for other stuff. Hey its like yo olde market place again...

The Natural Way

11:21 / 28.02.02

It's not that it's a "rip off" or a "tribute" - it's a coded message for the bigcomicsfan: the big bad this ish? Deconstruction.

[ 28-02-2002: Message edited by: You and Runce ]

11:49 / 28.02.02

We got yr annotations here and here.

11:57 / 28.02.02

Those annotation pages aren't really that good.

Flex demands some Bomb-style Barbelith analysis, like in the good old days when the Invisibles was coming out every month.

Anyone?

12:04 / 28.02.02

That's exactly what I said the other week, but nobody (except Not Me Again) seemed interested in annotating old series.

12:05 / 28.02.02

Put the damn thing on-line!!

12:18 / 28.02.02

well i think there are enough people here to do the old close re reading/annotations thing ALA the barbe book club.

I'd be up for doing it in say a month's time- we do it on an issue by issue basis starting at one? how does that strike people?

12:22 / 28.02.02

quote:Originally posted by MiKL:
Put this damn comicbook on-line!!

12:30 / 28.02.02

Count me in, sleaze.

Murray Hamhandler

13:04 / 28.02.02

quote:Originally posted by MiKL:
Put the damn thing on-line!!

Yes, I concur. I did this w/a few Invisibles issues that were unavailable in TPB form at the time a few years back and the people really seemed to appreciate it. It's probably illegal, strictly speaking, but I personally have no problem w/doing it if no one else is going to take advantage of it. If DC's too shit-scared of being sued by some rinky-dink company to make some money off it, I say that someone should scan it and put it on the web for free. I'd do it, but I'm unfortunately one of the unlucky few who don't have any Flex Mentallo. Give me my fix, oh humble soul!
Arthur Sudnam

13:18 / 28.02.02

I've got a at least a couple of them, and am willing to do some of the work. Might even be able to provide hosting space...

Argh. Might have spoken too soon. Can't find the one's I've got. 'F' box - Flaming Carrot, then From Hell. No Flex Mentallo...
Will keep looking. They may be somewhere else. Hope they wern't among the water heater casualties earlier this year...

[ 28-02-2002: Message edited by: videodrome ]

14:01 / 28.02.02

So no one really has issues 1 & 2? Do these issues exist? Well, if someone gets them let me know cause I'm drowning here.

14:07 / 28.02.02

I definitely had them - it's just a matter of tracking them down. If you could see the closet where my comics are stored you'd appreciate the enormity of the task. Maybe in a week or so I'll have them dug out...

14:29 / 28.02.02

I have issues 1, 3, and 4. Never been able to track down #2. Last time I checked, milehighcomics.com had #'s 1 and I think 4 available. I totally agree that this should be put online.

Matthew Fluxington

14:36 / 28.02.02

Wow, it's interesting that nearly all of us have incomplete sets - I had a complete set, but somehow lost/misplaced my copy of #4, which annoys me to no end, let me tell ya...

14:44 / 28.02.02

I lent all the best comics I own to a friend recently, including my Flex collection. I told her that I couldn't care less what happens to the condition of my books, or even if she ends up losing a few, so long as I get all my Flex Mentallos back.

She just gave them all back to me. With the exception of Flex #3 which is at her parent's home. Sigh.

The Planet of Sound

14:45 / 28.02.02

The Flex trade paperback is permanently on hold because Charles Atlas (Ltd) is suing DC. In case somebody hasn't said that already.

The Planet of Sound

14:47 / 28.02.02

Oh. They did, and they aren't. Whoops.

Our Lady of The Two Towers

15:21 / 28.02.02

I have managed to get a complete set just before the year 2000 began, but when I went there looking for more the shop didn't exist and a passing crone tried to convince me that it never existed.

All right, I lied, but they didn't have any more copies in.

As for this whole suing malarky, DC won didn't they? So they can say 'up yours' to Atlas. Besides, Atlas was suing over the Flex Mentallo origin story in Doom Patrol which was very much like those crap ads he used to do. As the limited series didn't have any of that I can't see Atlas having much success if he tries to sue over something that has even less resemblence to him.

15:27 / 28.02.02

Wait, is there actually a person named Charles Atlas? I thought he was the creation of some mail order fitness concern. If he's real, wouldn't he be really old now, like in his 90's?

18:56 / 28.02.02

Flex Mentallo's on ebay if people want them?

[ 28-02-2002: Message edited by: Steve Block ]

18:59 / 28.02.02

I lent mine to a friend. Who moved. The bitch.

if anyone is willing to scan 'em I'd dearly love to read them again.

19:10 / 28.02.02

My Flex Mentallo issues are the reason why I've stopped lending comics so much any more, graphic novels are ok though. They were lost in a friends house for quite a while but turned up just after I'd given up on them.
Yeah burn your comics and all that but they're just so shiney.
And I'm up for annotation.

22:31 / 28.02.02

Right, then. Poked about. Found issues 1-4. And here I thought I was missing one, if not all. So. Issue one is scanned and available via FTP. I'm willing to do 2-4 if people want it all, but they'd all be presented like this - downloadable zips. As much as I'd love to do a nice, browseable version it's just more trouble than I care to undertake.

Or, obviously via any traditional FTP client, connect to *******

How long I leave this up has to do with how much traffic I get. Anyone who wants to mirror is obviously welcome to do so.

Comments on scans appreciated via PM. If any moderators have a problem with this sort of distribution, feel free to delete this.

[ 01-03-2002: Message edited by: videodrome ]

[ 13-03-2002: Message edited by: Tom Coates ]

Murray Hamhandler

00:18 / 01.03.02

If I had to guess, DC will finally give in and release the TPB immediately after I say "fuck it" and shell out a hundred bucks on one of the many 'Flex Mentallo complete set' Ebay auctions that I've bid on but that have gotten way way -ridculously- way out of my price range in the past. That's the way stuff like that works for me (see: purchase of expensive import Buzzcocks 'Product' collection, immediately followed by domestic rerelease of all of their albums). But seeing as how I'm recently unemployed, youse guys might have to wait a while for that.
Arthur Sudnam

00:45 / 01.03.02

hey and old 'lither turned lurker e-mailed me with this: quote: I was about to reply to your thread on the Barbelith board about Flex Mentallo, but somehow my registration information isn't there anymore, and the board isn't letting any new people in. I actually bought all 4 issues as they came out, and I've still got 'em, and I've got a scanner, and I'm happy to share with everyone. But obviously I'll need to be let in the board to help out. If you can help me out with this, I'll help you out with Flex Mentallo. :-)

Paul

What do you guys think? How long is the freeze in place?

03:12 / 01.03.02

Videodrome, you fuckin' rock!

03:31 / 01.03.02

i got the full set as they were coming out. at the time it was very quiet - nobody was running around going "HOLY FUKC!" or anywhat. weren't too impressed first time, round, but now i loves them.

the last superhero comic. that's how i see it.

m.

10:52 / 01.03.02

Heh. I've got all four. Got 'em when they came out, too. Who wants to touch me?

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