Comic book writer Deniz Camp, whose credits include work for Marvel's 'The Ultimates' and DC Comics' 'Absolute Martian Manhunter,' faced intense criticism Monday after posting a two-word message on X that appeared to reference Saturday night's security breach at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C.
Camp posted 'Missed again :(' just hours after news broke that a would-be assassin had breached security at the Washington Hilton hotel where the event was being held. The Secret Service reported the individual was stopped before reaching former President Donald Trump, who attended the dinner as a guest speaker.
"Pretty sickening to see a writer I once admired wishing death on the President of the United States," one user replied to Camp's post, according to screenshots shared widely online.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive commentators and comic industry observers argued that while Camp's phrasing was poorly chosen, the backlash reflected broader tensions around political discourse. "The pile-on culture around anything resembling wrong-think has gotten out of hand," wrote one commentator on Bluesky who asked not to be named given ongoing professional relationships in comics publishing.
Others noted that comic writers have long used their platforms for political commentary, and that criticism of politicians is protected speech. "Comics have always been political. That's the medium's nature," said an independent creator who works with both Marvel and DC but declined to be identified while discussing colleagues' controversies.
Camp's defenders pointed out that he had not called for violence, only referenced a news event, though they acknowledged his follow-up explanation about darts was unconvincing to most observers.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative commentators were less forgiving of Camp's initial post and subsequent explanation. "This isn't a gaffe — it's a glimpse at the worldview of people writing for your kids," wrote one prominent right-leaning cultural commentator with millions of followers.
Congresswoman Nancy Mace weighed in on social media, though her posts primarily addressed Ben Stiller's misinterpreted post rather than Camp directly. Former Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell similarly focused commentary on celebrity responses to the security incident.
"Bravo on the all-time self-own," one widely-shared reply read. "Heroism and hope in your comics, pure glee at political murder in your tweets." The commenter added: "Exactly why comics suck now and nobody cares what you 'creatives' think anymore."
What the Numbers Show
Camp's original post received more than 2 million impressions within 24 hours, according to analytics tools tracking public X posts. His follow-up tweet claiming he was discussing darts accumulated significantly less engagement.
The White House Correspondents' Association released a statement confirming that Secret Service personnel stopped an individual who had breached security at the Washington Hilton on Saturday evening. No injuries were reported, and the event continued after a brief delay.
Camp has written for multiple publishers including Marvel, DC Comics, Image Comics, and Dark Horse. His credits include 'The Ultimates' published by Disney-owned Marvel and '20th Century Men.' He is under contract with both major publishers for upcoming projects.
The Bottom Line
Both Marvel and DC declined to comment on the controversy when reached by news outlets Monday. Neither publisher has announced any changes to Camp's contracted work.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions between creative professionals in entertainment industries and audiences who view political statements from writers as representative of their work. Comic book creators have historically leaned progressive, while readership skews more conservative than Hollywood film audiences.
Camp has not issued a public statement beyond his X posts claiming the controversy was a misunderstanding about darts. His upcoming projects remain scheduled unless publishers announce otherwise.