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Introduction
Dorothy A. Woolfolk née Dorothy Roubicek (October 1, 1913 – November 27, 2000) was a pioneering woman editor in American comic book industry during the Golden age of comic books. She was known as the first female editor in DC comics (All-American Publications--one of the three predecessors to DC comics).

Dorothy Woolfolk has both worked in Marvel and DC comics, which are the two largest comics companies in the field. She was also the first woman who scripted the Wonder Woman.

Personal life
Dorothy Woolfolk was born in October 1st 1913, during the period of her birth was happened to be the beginning period of the birth of comics ,the platinum age (1897-1937). Dorothy was such a talented writer that even she had only graduated from high school and never went to college.

Dorothy was born in New York City, where she lived for most of her life. She lived in the upper west side of  Manhattan. She moved to Norfolk in 1996, until two years later she began to reside at St. Francis Nursing Center in Newports Virginia.

Dorothy’s personal life was closely related to the comics industry. Her second husband was 1930s comic-strip cartoonist and 1940s comic-book writer Walter Galli. Dorothy Woolfolk was named Dorothy Roubicek before she married to her third husband, a novelist William Woolfolk. There was an interesting story about how Dorothy met her husband, William was the best-selling novelist for Superman that time while Dorothy has refused his script. They had one son and one daughter. Her daughter, Donna Woolfolk Cross, is also an author; her work includes the historical novel Pope Joan, which has been put on the big screen. The only family member who was not related to writing was her son, Donald Woolfolk, he was a physician before he retired.

According to her son Donald, Dorothy contributed 10 novels to the Donna Rockford series of adolescent mystery novels published in the 1960s by Scholastic Press.

She also shared her writing and publishing skills by teaching writing to adult groups and disadvantaged children

Dorothy finally died in 2000 in her last residence Newports Virginia, her family have all come to company with her and she had a memorial event after she died.

Career life
Dorothy Woolfolk worked in the All-Americans Publications from 1942-1944, one of the three companies formed the DC comics in present. She later in 1945-1946 worked as an editor for Captain Marvel comic books in Timely comics, the predecessor to the Marvel comics. In 1948, she worked for EC comics, and she returned to DC to edit Lois Lane, Wonder woman and other titles. In the early 50s, she  worked in the science fiction magazine Orbits. She returned again to DC to continue editing Wonder woman, Lois Lane, supergirl and other superheroes or romance titles in the 70s from 1971-1974. In the 1970s and early 1980s she was the author of the 10-book Scholastic Press young-adult novel series about teen detective Donna Rockford.

The biggest contribution Dorothy has made in DC comic was she helped to bring out the concept of kryptonite in Superman.   As the man of steel, supermen was so powerful that nothing could actually hurt him, which made the superman being lack of humanity. The indestructible super hero was too boring for the readers and the present editor Dorothy. Kryptonite wasn’t introduced into comics until 1949, more than ten years after Superman’s inception in 1938. Kryptonite had already been introduced in the radio serial The Adventures of Superman in 1943, but it made the leap to comics under Woolfolk’s stewardship with Superman #61 in 1949. Then kryptonite became the essential part of superman story.

During her briefly coming back to DC in 70s, she also got a chance to edit superman’s girlfriend Lois Lane, and became a driving force in the character of Lois Lane. Before Dorothy's editor, Lois Lane was the character who couldn’t leave Superman and fell in danger every time waiting for Superman’s rescue and aimed to be superman’s wife, the most plot of Lois was focusing on her relationship with Superman. Lois finally became a sidekick who could help with superman in fighting against villain after she moved to coral city, had her new love, quit her job and developed the new interest. Thanks to Dorothy Woolfolk, Lois Lane has finally became an independent role.

In 1971, DC Comics named Dorothy Woolfolk as Wonder Woman’s new editor, aimed to bring back Marston’s Wonder Woman. Dorothy planned to decrease violence in the plots and brought back the superpower to the heroine. Dorothy edited one issue of Wonder Woman in 1971, and another early in 1972. But the issues didn't make change with the Wonder Woman in 'Diana Princess era', although she wanted to get the heroine's power back, for which she got fired.

Dorothy Woolfolk was put in charge of many romance titles in DC, such as Falling in love and Secret hearts, etc. The girls under Dorothy’s editor, encouraged by the Women’s Liberation movement, were more independent, who refused to settle for boys who didn’t treat them properly”.

Awards
Dorothy was nominated from 2001 to 2004 for women cartoonists Hall of Fame held by Friends of Lulu.

Dorothy Woolfolk was categorized in the lists of She changed comics  comic creators by Comic Book Legal Defense Fund on cbldf.org.

Works
Writer:

The Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love (1971)

Editor:

The Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love (1971)

DC 100-Page Super Spectacular (1971)

Falling In Love (1955)

Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion (1972)

Heart Throbs (1957)

Secret Hearts (1949)

Showcase Presents: Secrets of Sinister House (2010)

The Sinister House of Secret Love (1971)

Spirit World (2012)

Supergirl (1972)

Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane (1958)

Wonder Woman (1942)

Young Love (1963)

Young Romance (1963)

* The chart is from  Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928-1999 [Https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224455/http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=WOOLFOLK,+DOROTHY]