These were monthly columns that were held by Scholastic. Fans would send in questions to K.A. Applegate, and the Official Website would post them at the end of month with K.A's reply. Fans could either send their letters to K.A through an email form or through snail mail at:
K.A. Applegate, c/o Scholastic, 555 Broadway, New York, N.Y., 10012.
August 1999
Hey K.A.,
I have couple of questions on the characters in the Animorphs books.
1) Why does Cassie always use the wolf morph in battle? I mean, no offense to people who like wolves, she has more powerful morphs. Plus, in battle the wolf morph usually gets hurt really bad. ex. Cassie's wolf morph leaping no flying through the air due to a Hork-Bajir.
2) Why don't you have more books with Ax as your main character? I find his opinions of humans very interesting. I have also noted a pattern you are following as to who is the main character of each book. This person, then that person, etc. etc. until the cycle repeats itself, but Ax is skipped in the cycle. Why is that?
3) Are you going to write any more trilogies like the ones with David in them? Can't wait to find out.
From your #1 fan since you first came out.
-NickHi, Nick:
1) I think Cassie is usually trying to do the minimal amount of harm in battle. She deliberately chooses a morph that is capable without necessarily being deadly.
2) Hey, it's the unreasonable salary demands of Ax and Tobias. I will not be dictated to by a bird and an alien! Or maybe that's not the truth. In any case, Nick, it's going to change. We had been alternating Ax and Tobias in "position three" after Rachel and before Cassie. But after book #42 Ax and Tobias will have the same number of books as the others.
3) I think there may be more trilogies but I don't have one planned right now. I'm thinking of a trilogy for books 45, 46 and 47.
KAA
Dear, K.A.
In #27 how deep do they go? I know they use a squid morph. How deep do they exactly do they go? It has been bugging me for as long as I can remember. Please answer my question.
Thanks
Allison or speedyHi Alison (or speedy):
Really, really deep. Soooooo deep. Way down. Mmm hmmm. Talking deep here.
KAA
Dear KA,
1) How come in #11 there was a time limit and 2 of everyone, and not in Megamorphs #2?
2) Who is Visser 2 anyway?
3) Which character do you feel closest to?
Thanks,
NicoleHi, Nicole:
1) #11 and MEGAMORPHS #2 were fundamentally different time travel experiences.
2) The Backstreet Boys take turns being Visser 2.
3) Hmmm. Probably Cassie, although 'she' and I occasionally disagree on things. She's the animal lover, she's the most thoughtful. Also the most ambivalent. On the other hand, I shop like Rachel.
--KAA
Hi K.A.!
I have a question. How come Marco's Mom is Visser One and she is so powerful? Visser three is an Andalite and Visser One is human Visser Three could become Visser One anytime as long as he has his tail.
-WaylomHi, Waylom:
What type of host body you have is a reflection of your power within the Yeerk hierarchy, but it's not the only indicator. Marco's Mom is in a human host because she used a series of human hosts to launch the initial invasion of Earth. See VISSER when it comes out. All will be revealed.
--KAA
Dear K.A.,
I am a big fan of yours (I'd like to say I'm the biggest but there are a lot of fans out there, plus I don't have cable to watch the show. lol) I have some questions I would like to ask you,
1) In book #26 the Ellimist say something about the race called the Sharf Den and didn't say anything after that, so will the Sharf Den tie in with the Animorphs in the future?
2) Can you give your address in the next book or on this page because I would like to send you some fan-mail sometime.
3) I can tell by the way you answer these questions you are very sarcastic (Just like Marco). So is Marco your favorite character to write.
Thanx,
YoYoman
P.S. I bet $5 you'll make a sarcastic remark to these questions.
-YoYoman
Hi, YoYoman:
1) The Sharf Den are off in their own corner of the galaxy minding their own business.
2) Write to Scholastic at 555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. They pass fan mail along to me, here on the Sharf Den planet.
3) Sarcastic? Me? Surely you mean "witty." Actually, to be neither sarcastic nor witty for a moment, this is why I like this particular venue. I handle few enough letters that I get to answer them as a writer. Meaning I have time to make sense, time to come up with a joke, or occasionally make a point. Contrast that with interview or chat room questions where you have zero time to come up with anything and you just have to blurt whatever dim platitude happens to be on the tip of your tongue and you see why this is better.
--KAA
Dear K.A.A.
I just read your Reserved Questions and I was Wandering are you over 40 because you seemed a little paranoid about being 40 now I know you woman don't like to give their age but just a rough estimate Id say you where no older than 20 Any ways I was wondering how long it takes you to write a book because it took me 1 year to write a 125 page book
Your #1 (In a million) Fan bob
(just between me and you its J.D.)Hi, J.D.:
You're sweet, but when I was 20 I was still in college wasting my parent's money. I am more than twice twenty. I didn't even start writing till I was in my thirties. Up until then I was pursuing a career in the growing field of Pointless Jobs. Fortunately I am kept youthful-looking forever by virtue of the fact that I live inside a big jar of assorted Clinique products.
--KAA
Dear K.A. Applegate,
I've read your entire series, Animorphs, up to date and I think its the best series ever written! I've checked some of the unofficial Animorphs web sites and have heard of several rumors. Could you please dispel any of the rumors if you know that they're false, don't know, or are true.
1.) Is an Animorphs movie being planned by Scholastic.
2.) If there is going to be an Animorphs movie it will be based upon Megamorphs #2.
3.) There's going to be a book written by you called The Taxxon Chronicles. Once again could you please tell me if these rumors are true or not. Thank you.
From,
A loyal fanHi, Loyal:
1) Not as far as I know. You'd think they'd mention something like that to me, so I'm going with "no." However, if you know Steven Spielberg give him a call and drop the idea on him. I'd be willing to let him include E.T.
2) See above.
3) That is a distinct possibility. Not a certainty, yet.
--KAA
Dear K.A. Applegate,
I have recently started reading your Animorphs series and I was wondering if I could ask a few questions. I also know that you can't answer everyone's questions, so don't worry if you can't answer all of mine. Here they are:
#1. Would you advise me to read them in order?
#2. Why does Rachel always give Marco such a hard time?
#3. Is there any special age group you would recommend for "Ever World"?
Those are all my questions. Thanks. And keep writing those books coming. Sincerely,
Elvis Parsley
P.S. Are you a controller?Hi, Elvis:
1) Yes. It's not absolutely necessary, but I think it would be best.
2) Many people misunderstand this relationship. People think Rachel and Marco hate each other. Not true. They're like a comedy team, riffing on each other. Or siblings teasing each other. Sometimes it gets really testy but they like and respect each other.
3) Well, to be honest I don't know. I don't have older kids myself so I don't have a real knowledge of what it means to be eight versus what it means to be nine or ten or whatever. I think it probably varies from kid to kid. And, at risk of sounding horribly old and uncool, I'd be happiest if your parents made those decisions, along with yourself. Parents don't play a big role in my books, but I hope they play a big role in who reads my books. But you have an obligation there, too: if what you read in ANIMORPHS or EVERWORLD ever makes you feel uncomfortable or affronted in any way, you should probably read something else. I don't want to overstate this, because I don't think you should stick to reading things that never challenge your ideas or beliefs -- not much point in reading at all if you're only going to read writers who agree with you on everything. But if you read EVERWORLD and come away with the sense that it is speaking to a different age group than your own, you're probably right.
--KAA
Hey K.A.!
I just want you to answer these questions.
1.Are the Animorphs ever going to encounter the Council of Thirteen? 2. Who is Visser 2!!!
3. Since your writing Ever World, are the Animorphs books going to come out late, like every other month?
4. Could Erek become an Animorphs if he wanted to?
-RioHi, Rio:
1) The Council makes an appearance in VISSER which is coming out in a couple months.
2) I've been asked this a lot, and the time has come to reveal that Brittney Spears is Visser 2.
3) Nope. The schedule stays the way it is.
4) He could, but the pay and benefits just aren't good enough.
--KAA
I am the biggest Animorphs fan!!! I don't understand why Crayak and the Ellimist couldn't have grabbed the time matrix in Megamorphs 3
-Justin KHi, Justin:
Here I go with way too much explanation: the situation between the Ellimist and Crayak is like the situation between the United States and the old Soviet Union during the Cold War. Both sides possess unimaginable destructive power. But if either side uses that power, the other side will use it, too. In the Cold War it was called "Mutual Assured Destruction." Basically it's the realization that neither side could win, and the most either side could hope for was a sort of murder/suicide pact, which is not an attractive option for sane people. Same thing with Crayak and the Ellimist: if either had tried to grab the Time Matrix it would have meant all-out war between them, resulting in the destruction of pretty much everything.
--KAA
Dear Ms. Applegate,
Sorry to sound rude, but this is my 14th letter to you, so can you please answer this one? I would be so happy if you can. You know how Tobias would lose his ability to morph if he stays human for more than 2 hours? How come he can't do that, and then get the morphing ability from the blue box?
1. If you are thinking of explaining it by saying the blue box has been taken apart:
- In a recent book (#24 -- the Suspicion?) the blue box was still intact. That was how the Helmacrons were able to take it away and use its power.
2. If you are thinking of explaining it by saying that none of the Animorphs know how to use the blue box:
- The Andalites invented the blue box. And Ax is an Andalite -- therefore he should have the ability to use the box. In one of the books (I forget which one), Ax was able to say the names of the specific parts of the blue box, so he isn't too young or inexperienced.
Please answer this question. Thank you for your time!
LiangHi, Liang:
Sorry you didn't get through earlier, but I guess 14 is the magic number.
Your logic is very good, but overlooks one fact: a person can only undergo the Blue Box experience once. It's kind of like watching Barney. Once is okay. More than once and your head explodes. I'm kidding. About the exploding head, not about the fact that the Cube only works once on any given individual.
One other point: you suggest that because Ax is an Andalite he must necessarily know how to construct a Blue Box. Not so. You're a human, can you put together a nuclear reactor? No. I hope. I'm a human and I can't get the vacuum bag in the vacuum.
--KAA
Hey K.A.!
Pul-lease answer my questions, because I've sent questions a million times, and I really need to know the answers.
1) In book 26, the Ellimist said that when Jake's Yeerk died, he had peered across the line between life and death and that the Crayak had seen that he had touched him, and there for, knew he must take some part in his plans. But they met the Ellimist in book #7, and Jake had a Yeerk in his head in book #6!
2) What will happen when Tobias's hawk morph is old and about to die?
3) When do you plan on adding a new girl to the Animorphs cast?
Please answer my questions, 'cause I need to know the answers. You are positively the best author ever! I get so wrapped up in your books, that I think I'm there with them! Write on, and crush the Yeerk force! (yeah I know I'm hyper)
-KaylinHi, Kaylin:
A million times? Wow, that sure beats the earlier letter where she sent questions 14 times.
1) Just because Jake hadn't met the Ellimist doesn't mean the Ellimist hadn't "met" Jake.
2) I'm thinking at that point he'll change his mind about remaining in Hawk morph.
3) I'm not sure I do plan to add a new character. I'm considering. If it happened it would be after book #42 because I've already outlined up to that point.
--KAAAccording to K.A. Applegate
1999 - [ Jan, Feb, March, April, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec ]
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