Once again, Ill be using this thread to post all of the letter columns pertaining to the latest Silver Age archive release Metal Men volume 1, to provide additional context to the reading experience.
As a bonus, Ill also be including the special pages entitled Metal Facts and Fancies that were in the original issues. I understand that space limitations may not have allowed their inclusion in this volume, but Im including them here because they were a staple of the feature, they were done by the same creative team (Kanigher/Andru/Esposito), and they often provided a springboard to characters that came along later in the series as we shall see.
As the story goes, Kanigher et al created the Metal Men in a last-minute rush to meet a deadline for Showcase, and consequently he destroyed them at the end of that first tale, thinking that would be that. However, the powers that be decided they were worth at least a 3-issue try-out, so they were resurrected for the following issue (#38). It was at that point that Kanigher decided to expand the strips educational horizons by including a 2-page feature entitled Metal Facts and Fancies which appeared in the next 2 issues as seen here:




Showcase #39 also saw the introduction of a letter column entitled Metal Scraps. Kanigher himself would answer the letters, although later on when the Metal Men got their own mag hed eventually have the characters personally answer the letters, just as he did in his other titles like Wonder Woman/ and some of the war mags (where Sgt. Rock usually shouldered the load in his Combat Corner).
The first column shows the groups overwhelming support, but science savvy readers were quick to point out things like Mercury being the wrong color, and his inability to retain shape as a liquid:

The final Showcase issue appeared once again to be a last-minute affair. In issue #39, the ending makes it obvious that it was intended to be the last try-out, but it appears that once again Kanigher had to pinch-hit. Consequently, there was no Facts and Fancies prepared for #40, although they did have time to put together another letter column, with more enthusiastic feedback, including even a request for the robots to be inducted into the JLA:

Next: More letters, facts, and fancies as the MM get their own title!
As a bonus, Ill also be including the special pages entitled Metal Facts and Fancies that were in the original issues. I understand that space limitations may not have allowed their inclusion in this volume, but Im including them here because they were a staple of the feature, they were done by the same creative team (Kanigher/Andru/Esposito), and they often provided a springboard to characters that came along later in the series as we shall see.
As the story goes, Kanigher et al created the Metal Men in a last-minute rush to meet a deadline for Showcase, and consequently he destroyed them at the end of that first tale, thinking that would be that. However, the powers that be decided they were worth at least a 3-issue try-out, so they were resurrected for the following issue (#38). It was at that point that Kanigher decided to expand the strips educational horizons by including a 2-page feature entitled Metal Facts and Fancies which appeared in the next 2 issues as seen here:




Showcase #39 also saw the introduction of a letter column entitled Metal Scraps. Kanigher himself would answer the letters, although later on when the Metal Men got their own mag hed eventually have the characters personally answer the letters, just as he did in his other titles like Wonder Woman/ and some of the war mags (where Sgt. Rock usually shouldered the load in his Combat Corner).
The first column shows the groups overwhelming support, but science savvy readers were quick to point out things like Mercury being the wrong color, and his inability to retain shape as a liquid:

The final Showcase issue appeared once again to be a last-minute affair. In issue #39, the ending makes it obvious that it was intended to be the last try-out, but it appears that once again Kanigher had to pinch-hit. Consequently, there was no Facts and Fancies prepared for #40, although they did have time to put together another letter column, with more enthusiastic feedback, including even a request for the robots to be inducted into the JLA:

Next: More letters, facts, and fancies as the MM get their own title!
