11-Year-Old Argues for Better Representation, Reminds DC That “Girls Read Comics, Too”

Please RT: An 11 year old girl writes to @DCComics – Girls read comics too, and they care. http://t.co/P6fhuHPDYa pic.twitter.com/gxqUDGlEBm

— David M. Perry (@Lollardfish) January 28, 2015

11-year-old Rowan is a family friend of David Perry, who published a transcription of the above letter with her and her parents’ permission over on his blog.

Dear DC comics,

My name is Rowan and I am 11 years old. I love superheroes and have been reading comics and watching superhero cartoons and movies since I was very young. I’m a girl, and I’m upset because there aren’t very many girl superheroes or movies and comics from DC.

For my birthday, I got some of your Justice League Chibis™. I noticed in the little pamphlet that there are only 2 girl Chibis, and 10 boys. Also, the background for the girl figures was all pink and purple.

I remember watching Justice League cartoons when I was really young with my dad. There are Superman and Batman movies, but not a Wonder Woman one. You have a Flash TV show, but not a Wonder Woman one. Marvel Comics made a movie about a talking tree and raccoon awesome, but you haven’t made a movie with Wonder Woman.

I would really like a Hawkgirl or Catwoman or the girls of the Young Justice TV show action figures please. I love your comics, but I would love them a whole lot more, if there were more girls.

I asked a lot of the people I know whether they watched movies or read books or comics where girls were the main characters, they all said yes.

Please do something about this. Girls read comics too and they care.

Sincerely, Rowan.

Perry points out that yes, we are getting a Wonder Woman movie from DC in 2017, but considering Rowan will be thirteen before she sees a DC movie with a female lead (let alone the representation she deserves in comics and toys), that seems beside the point. It takes bravery and intelligence to publicly critique content that you love, and budding female fans of Star Wars, Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, or any other universe that has historically defaulted to male protagonists deserve more heroines with that kind of heart.

Awesome job, Rowan. DC, don’t let her down.

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