Charlee Flatt Customs: Were they on a new body?

[gaga4toyz]

Castaway bought one of the Phantom prototypes from Charlie years ago. The 45's, belt buckle, and hands used on the Castaway figure was from the Flattworld Phantom prototype. We then sent Charlie a head Corey Wood sculpted and he totally reworked it. We were very happy with the end results. He also helped us with some of our other parts (hands and boots) We've had good dealings with Charlie over the years. Just talked to him on the phone recently and he's still interested in toys.

[michael crawford]

Hmm. That would have been one Calvin Weaver back in the day.

I suspect you mis-heard or had some form of miscommunication - I wish we had been farming out the sculpting, and we certainly discussed doing it because we weren't getting anything from Charlee on time. But I don't recall any of the prototypes ever getting sculpted by someone else, unless someone stepped in and lent a hand on Zorro. I certainly don't recall it happening though, and you'd think I would :D

[JuliusMarxAFI]

Wow. Cal Weaver... there's a name I haven't heard or thought of in a LONG time. Michael Crawford was also involved in the launch of Flattworld back in the day. He never liked to talk about it after it crumbled whenever I used to ask him about it.

I actually won a Flattworld contest back in the day where I was to have won a free Flattworld figure of my choice. I'm a big fan of Astro City, so I was really looking forward to those figures. I chose the newly announced Jack-In-The-Box figure they were going to do as my prize... and then they folded before they ever got around to.

Shoulda just picked Dracula.

[Tothiro]

I don't know who told you that, but Charlee and FWF did not farm out that sculpting - he did all the work.

Hmm. That would have been one Calvin Weaver back in the day.

[michael crawford]

That would be my guess too... I know I'd asked about the Flattline/Flattworld sculpts at the time they were shown with the same feeling, and learned Dracula and such were farmed out to other sculptors - Charlee was more of a creative director on those.
But then again I never saw a lot of his last stuff, so I don't know what level he was at before he retired. I guess the CAT guys could answer that?

I don't know who told you that, but Charlee and FWF did not farm out that sculpting - he did all the work.

FWF failed for one very good reason - a lousy underhanded manufacturing rep that took advantage of the company and drove them out of business with increasing demands for money and never producing product on schedule. Crappy manufacturing reps are the bane of small action figure companies to this day.

[Tothiro]

I think I was even told once, and I still can't remember the answer.

Niiice I'm the same way with car keys.

Charlee was the first to sell volume. There were a lot of peeps making lots of figures they never sold, and other people making a few that they offered before quitting, but Charlee did numbers. I mean, my first full-on comic mego custom was an Etrigan I did 22 years ago now with brush on latex molds, but I didn't know anything or anyone, and I sure didn't take commissions.
Of course he didn't start producing out of a vacuum, so obviously he'd been toiling away on the hobby at a workbench somewhere before that.
I think the concept of casting modified body parts for new bucks was kind of a hobby revolution - a lot of people hadn't considered that, and I think it set him apart from the "I'm making a suit and head" guys. ...A Zephyr Team Boy of early customs if you will.
I find it interesting that he basically had the same end-product in mind as Tonner dolls is doing now. It was never my thing, but it was definitely art doll.

I never talked to Charlee, but the editors at the time at ToyFare told me that he could be tough to get a hold of, allegedly not buying into the whole e-mail phenomena. They did most of their contract stuff by snail mail. He was probably happy not to have to worry about it being flipped, even if the rate of pay was lower.

[megozilla13]

There were several reasons why he gave it up. A couple of people (who shall remain nameless) took advantage of him and his good nature and it really soured him of customs, action figures and people who collect them.

I always had a different idea. Back before MegoCon 2004 in NYC I was trying to convince him to go and do a presentation. I even arranged to have his trip, hotel, and food payed for. He kept coming up with excuses and then finally told me that he couldn't go there and smile and act excited about something that didn't excite him anymore. I know the year before he had made and sold almost 150 customs. I think for a long time he was making money off a hobby and then it turned into work and he got burned out. I know Ron kept pushing him and pushing him to do more. I think it just stopped being fun. He once told me he didn't care if someone made money on one of his figures but he didn't want to sell to someone he knew just wanted to flip it. The crazy money the figures were changing hands for caused him to raise his prices, who could blame him for that. I think Ron had alot to do with that.

mikej

Also, as far as I know, the only outfits he had someone else do was the lined jacket for the joker. The lady that did it was a memeber here who got booted \.

[The Bat]

I may not be a fan of all his figures...but to this day I've NEVER seen a better Custom SPIDERMAN! It was...AMAZING!

[Brue]

Flatt's amalgamated bodies that matured over the years were part of the appeal. His attention to detail in heads and costumes impressive at a time when other options were crude. I remember seeing him at a convention in the late 90's and just being WOWED by his stuff. In refernence to the price question of another thread: At the time I could not afford that but I think they were well worth the price. They are art not toys. You should expect art prices. Now, yes, there are MANY customizers (Derek C, John F, etc)as good and better BUT again, his stuff is art and it was pioneering. To say that the newer stuff and his should have the same price is hard to say. Art is valued not by how "good" it is because that is very subjective anyway. It is priced by a slew of other criteria as well. Age, artist, noteworthiness, history, style, have others replicated? uniquness, rarity and the big one - someone says it is worth it (with there money) and therefore it is. I would think that if someone wants a piece of art and a part of (post)mego history these are still worth the price asked. Of course the fact that commissioning with him has not always turned out well that may have been a bad risk. But a figure in the hand is worth the price.

[Donkey Hoatie]

I bought a couple of Charlee's repro items in the late 90s, a Lizard lab coat, and the Peter Parker Alter Ego outfit. I bought my first full custom from Charlee back in 1998 (Black Panther, $250). I had met Cal Weaver at the Kane County Fairgrounds Show that summer and he told me all about Charlee Flatt's figures and how awesome they were, and apparently he had a Black Panther figure he was working on. As Black Panther was one of my favorite characters in the Marvel world, I was sold!

I got the Black Panther and agreed it was like holding a high-end work of art. I bought the Flattworld Dracula when it came out, just because I wanted to support his new endeavor, and while it was really well-made, I just wasn't really a monster fan. I only wanted some specific Marvel guys. A few years later, I had a little more cash than $250 in my pocket and wondered what figures Charlee was producing. By this time, Cal and Flattworld were long gone, and I had to go through another fellow Mego Mailing List member (who shall remain nameless). I asked what figures were available, and the guy was very evasive. I was also told that I could NOT contact Charlee directly to ask anything, but I could send $1200 or so dollars to him and he would get me one of Charlee's figures. Uh, yeah, no thanks. That's the last time I ever tried to buy a Flatt.

Shortly after that, word got out that Charlee wasn't making any figures any more. It's a shame, because at the time (and even now), they were incredible figures. With the Black Panther figure, Charlee sent me a nice, hand-written note, thanking me for supporting him in his hobby. He just seemed like a really nice guy who was also really talented. Fortunately, for all of us here on the Board, it seems like there's a bunch of equally talented customizers who are also incredibly nice guys.

Long live the customs!

[jimsmegos]

As promised... the tutorial.... pics are huge, you've been warned.

Time Traveling through Toyfare: Charlie Flatt’s Super Soldier Tutorial. s Toy Box

[Type Two]

Like so many other people, I became a fan of Flatt's work from his customs being showcased in Toyfare magazine. I had no idea that people were contracting him to make customs for them until years later, after he got out of the business. It's a shame that some people apparently got burned by Charlee and a greater shame that CF dropped out due to getting burned himself.

While I missed out on the Flatt figures, I did, however, manage to buy a custom Famous Covers figure done by another once famous customizer: Blair Tarleton! It's the Phantom Stranger and I got it for a song off of eBay about eight years ago... . Gorgeous work!

I think the fact that he was pretty much the first guy making custom megos

Hey, I made a custom Mego figure in 1980 or so! I called him the "The Masked Marvel" and he had a Robin head and a Superman body (without cape). A Rose Art fabric pen provided the requisite "MM" chest emblem. He's still around here somewhere... .

[Anarchy]

charlee was a super nice guy, but his work ethic stunk. he still owes people figures and alot of money to this day. bk he sewed most of his stuff. during the last days he used a eamstress for a bunch of figures i think he was just tired of it all. he got really upset when people paid money fo a figure then they turned around and sold it for a profit on ebay or to another collector.

[BlackKnight]

There were several reasons why he gave it up. A couple of people (who shall remain nameless) took advantage of him and his good nature and it really soured him of customs, action figures and people who collect them.

But then you Also Hear Stories on How He still owes People Thousands of Dollars in Product as well .... for years Now.

Did Flatt Even Sew His Entire Custom ?
... I've also Heard He commissioned a ton of His Needle Work Out.

[AJ Collector]

Thanks Scott, such a shame.....