From: [c--r--e] at [redynet.com.ar] (El Avechucho)
To: <[c--m--x] at [world.std.com]>
Subject: RE: The Ignominious Flushman Story (was translations)
Date: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 18:30:27 -0300

Hi! Andres Accorsi back at the keyboard.

Well, since Desmond and Brad! asked for it, here it goes:
When I started working as a translator for Editorial Perfil
(publishers of the Argentinian versions of DC's Superman, Batman,
Justice League and The Flash) in 1990 or 1991, everybody agreed that
the name "Flash" shouldn't be translated into Spanish, since there was
a long tradition of Mexican reprints, where Barry Allen was called
"Flash".
But (here comes the good part), in Argentina we have a sensationalist
tabloid called Flash, full of gossip about TV stars, bogus horoscopes
and impossibly miraculous diets. The publishers were Editorial
Perfil's hardest rivals in the market and both companies had sued each
other a dozen times over stupid matters that wouldn't interest even
the basest of the illustrious members of the list.
 Obviously, as gossip flew from one publisher to the other, the owners
of the Flash rag were quick to throw their threatens: "If you dare to
call that running jerk's magazine "Flash", we're suing your asses
off". And, to us humble workers, the order came from high above: "Come
up with a new name for that running jerk!".
And so we did. The guy who answered the fan mail and me got to work on
a list of suggested titles for that running jerk's book. We proposed
at least 15 names, among which I remember:
Las Nuevas Aventuras de Flash (The New Adventures of the Flash)
Universo DC Presenta: Flash     (DC Universe, Featuring the Flash)
El Nuevo Flash                           (The New Flash)
El Rayo                                       (The Ray or The Bolt)
El Relampago                              (The Lightning)
and a few others in that style.
Imagine my surprise when they showed us the camera-ready design for
the first cover. The imposing logo clearly said: "Flushman" ?!?. What
the hell's this?! Who came up with this stupid name? Why didn't you
ask us?! Why did you ask us to suggest all those names, if you were
determined to follow some asshole's whim?! How come nobody knew that
"Flush" is what you do when you need your heces to leave your bowl?!
Well, the answer was "Somebody high above strongly suggested the
title, because Flush sounds similar to Flash".
I couldn't believe it. I was credited as translator in each and every
magazine and I was sure that the fans would obviously put the blame on
me for a pathetic mistake I hadn't made. I came very close to quitting
the job and -though the book ran until issue #50- every time another
character called Wally West by his codename, I wrote "Flash" instead
of "Flushman" in the translated script I handled the letterers. The
editor hated me for this, because the letterer was often in a hurry
and didn't care enough to check all my "Flashes" and turn them into
"Flushmen", so the running jerk was called "Flash" almost once per
issue.
In his favor, I must say that the editor addressed the problem (you
wouldn't believe how adverse was the fans' reaction to this stupid
name) and clearly expressed that it hadn't been me who came up with
the "Flushman" name. Anyway, we got ridiculized in the fan press and
in the news section of the major comic magazines. The book's sales
started to pick up only after 15 or 20 issues (after a terrifying low
debut) and the fans' harassing decreased around the same time.
Almost three years after the book got cancelled, people still ask me
who the hell and why the hell came up with such a stupid solution to
such a simple problem (some of them are still convinced it was me!)
and I always say "I wish I knew", with the same resigned gesture I
show every time I hear a young reader speaking about the poor old
running jerk and calling him "Flushman".
This is the sad but true story of the Argentinian version of The
Flash, the fastest (or was it the most hygienical?) man on Earth.
A great '98 for all of you, guys!
                                                        Andres

 _________________________________________________________________

There are a few pieces of information I excluded from the original
text but could be of some interest.
.Editorial Perfil's rival publisher was called Editorial Sarmiento.
.The editor for Perfil's line of comics was Osvaldo Tangir.
.The guy who answered the fan mail was Rafael de la Iglesia.
.The most frequent letterer on the series was Andres Paez.
.Flushman appeared 13 times a year, from September 1991 to April 1995.
Well, that's it. Have fun!
                                                    Andres Accorsi