Culture war | False joke about the murder of Charlie Kirk

In times of new culture wars for political hegemony, satire is a minefield. Waves of excitement over right or wrong punchlines sweep through social media almost daily. Individual gags swirl in storms of enthusiasm or rejection.

In the current case, Gretchen Felker-Martin, the lead writer of the brand-new DC comic series "Red Hood," was caught in the act. In response to the murder of US right-wing extremist Charlie Kirk, she posted a message on a short message service that cost her her job. She declared that her thoughts and prayers were with the "Nazi bitch" and added, "I hope the bullet is okay after it touched Charlie Kirk."

DC Comics immediately responded to the author's public statements and canceled the "Red Hood" series. Comments "that could be considered to promote hostility or violence violate DC's Standards of Conduct." Stores already supplying the book will receive full refunds, not only for remaining stock but also for copies already sold. The book was scheduled to be published monthly, but the first issue was delivered only on Wednesday, the day Charlie Kirk was killed by an as yet unknown assassin.

"Red Hood," drawn by Jeff Spokes and written by Felker-Martin, is a spin-off from the Batman universe that was well-received by critics for revitalizing the somewhat dusty world of the venerable Batman. It was actually advertised with the slogan: "Out of Gotham City. Not out of Bullets."

Just last July, German satirist El Hotzo was acquitted of the charge of condoning the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in July 2024 during a campaign event. At the time, El Hotzo had asked on a short message service what "the last bus" and Trump had in common. The answer: "Unfortunately, I just missed it." The 29-year-old further commented that he finds it "absolutely fantastic" "when fascists die." His client at the time, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, immediately terminated their collaboration.

Author Gretchen Felker-Martin has often attracted attention in the past with aggressive statements. For example, she claimed that "Zionism is a full-fledged form of National Socialism" and summarily killed off world-renowned author J.K. Rowling in her highly successful science fiction novel "Manhunt" (2022). While both of these actions caused considerable outrage, they didn't lead to her being fired from the commission for "Red Hood." It was her false joke that did that.