Letters page (Marvel UK)
The Marvel UK Generation 1 comic had an interesting approach to fan mail - the letters were answered by Transformers.
Originally the Marvel UK comics' letters pages were a fairly pedestrian affair, occasionally spiced up by a Hasbro employee dropping in to plug toys. However, starting with issue #22, a new take was created with a Transformer answering the letters page in character. By this stage the comic was being printed in a weekly format which, combined with in-character letter answerers, resulted in a very informal, "chatty" interaction with fans.
The letters pages created on-going in-jokes, addressed continuity errors and were constantly telling the readers (especially during Grimlock's tenure) to ignore the cartoon because, while it was an amusing diversion, the comics were the real story. This is the only time any Transformers fiction has claimed it was more legitimate than another fiction. Generally TF fictions just ignore each other.
There were tips about where to pick up old merchandise, and sightings of new toys. The corner section of the page ran recurring items as well - "Stock Exchange" and "Comic Exchange" let fans swap their toys and comics with each other; other times, a fan might have a list of their favourite aspects of the series (issue, character, artist, etc.) printed.
The letter answerers were also unashamedly biased towards their own factions and generally completely biased towards themselves. They'd often berate or tease letter writers, talk down about the previous columnists or berate the writers of the series itself.
Outside-inside continuity
The continuity of the letters page is somewhat complicated. Generally the writers treated themselves as 'in continuity', even if this defied all logic. While the comic had a human production staff (Stubbies) who could be blamed for some gaffes that might occur, the comic was also supposed to portray "real events". Or, as Grimlock put it when a fan tried to blame the writer for Galvatron's rampage:
- The story that appears in this comic is an accurate representation of the actual events as they happened. So, just this once, you can't really blame the Stubbies involved. That said in issue #102 they got it all wrong. Fancy showing Galvatron actually defeating me in battle! Ridiculous! -Grimlock, answering letter
The hosts answered questions and bantered with fans, discussing subjects ranging from Megatron's Cybertronian form (a hand-held laser gun) to Optimus Prime's opinion of Mötley Crüe's music (he hates it). In some cases the letters page is the only canon source for vital information about characters. For example, Chuffer's name comes completely from the letters pages.
The waters of canon were further muddied by the letters pages' interaction with Robo-Capers. Transitions of the letter answerers were generally shown in a Robo-Capers strip, (or in one case, a text story -- which also served as that year's Christmas story). These strips illustrated the exact details of how the letters column would change hands. Occasionally other Robo-Capers strips would also show behind-the-scenes goings-on at Marvel or scenes to do with the letter answerer, like Grimlock going to see the TF movie.
How this all fits together with the actual comics canon is anyone's guess. Especially since Marvel Comics appears in-story, through Donny Finkleberg. Even more horrifying is this thought: If the letters pages are canon, that makes every single human who wrote into the pages a canon part of TF fiction. Let's... ahhh... let's not start publishing pages about them, though, please.
Hosts/Page title
- Soundwave hosted the page under the title Soundwaves. Soundwave hosted from issue #22 to issue #73. Whenever Autobots (puttup) were named in the letters page, for example Optimus Prime (puttup), Soundwave would spit. What exactly the (puttup) meant was kind of confusing until issue #65 when Soundwave actually spat (puttup and all... through his face plate, no less) at Robot Master in the main strip. This strange scene further linked the letters page to general canon.
- Ratchet hosted Rat-Chat for issue #41 only. Ratchet generally crowed about having taken over the letters page -- but his responses were a bit weak compared to the acidic tone of Soundwave.
- Grimlock hosted Grim Grams for the longest stint out of any of them, after storming the building. Robo-Capers UK 74 He reigned from issue #75 to issue #182 (there was no letters page in issue #74). Grimlock was one of the most enjoyable of the hosts. He was open, genuine and fun. Also, his pages were filled with hundreds of little tidbits about Transformers canon, from the names and alt modes of otherwise unnamed generic Transformers to the fact that Galvatron has a weakness for chocolate-coated oil barrels. Yikes.
Grimlock was particularly bloodthirsty towards the people supposedly creating the comics, starting a bunch of running gags--from referring to them as "Stubbies" to threatening to put them into the VVH. He also got to do a few other special features, including getting to do his own review on the Transformers film. Again, stretching continuity credibility to new levels of thinness.
Unlike Dreadwind, Grimlock never got to occupy the corner box on the cover of the comic during his massive run. At first it alternated between Optimus Prime and Megatron, then after they died between Galvatron and Rodimus Prime, and finally it went back to Powermaster Optimus Prime. Poor Grimmy.
- Dreadwind hosted Dread Tidings (not "Dread Fidings" in spite of what the design of the second logo suggested), with occasional "help" from his Nebulan companion, Hi-Test. The Wind of Change! Dread Tidings ran from issue #184 to issue #299. Again, there was an issue gap between Grimlock leaving the strip and Dreadwind taking up the strip -- the place of the letters page in issue #183 was taken by a special Robo-Capers strip showing Dreadwind taking over the letters.
Dread Tidings ran both in colour and in black and white. To distinguish the difference between Dreadwind and Hi-Test, Dreadwind answered in red/pink, while Hi-Test answered in blue. This meant that when the page was published in black and white Hi-Test stopped answering letters for a while.
The corner boxes on the covers of issues #282-285 feature a sequence where Dreadwind punches out Optimus Prime and steals the corner box from him.
In issue #302, despite having been kicked out several issues earlier, Dreadwind was still holed up in the Marvel offices. His final departure was the subject of that year's Christmas story, a text story on the Transmissions index page. (The smallest, and most half-arsed Christmas effort in the history of the series.)
- Action Master Blaster rounded out the comic's run with Darn 'n' Blast, beginning in issue #300. Don't ask what happened to Dreadwind's picture of a sad-eyed puppy. Curiously, Blaster took over while his comic counterpart was STILL DEAD!
During Blaster's run we learnt more about his family, and more about Transformers soccer leagues. Uh. Yay. His tone was much more bright and upbeat than the other letter answerers -- resulting in a somewhat more bland set of columns. Ironically, comics Blaster wasn't really a fun and upbeat guy, but that's the UK take for ya.
Post-Marvel
The later Armada comic from Panini and both Titan's Movie & Animated comics have since used the same format for their letters page.
