Gauntlet Gallery
What is D*Face’s piece called “Feels So Good (First edition)”
Summary
"Feels So Good" reworks a single Superman comic panel: D*Face leaves the Man of Steel's blue suit, red cape and "S" emblem intact but replaces his face with a grinning, horned skull and tears open his chest to expose a second skull beneath. Speech bubbles spell out "I FEEL BAD... BUT... IT FEELS... SO GOOD!", a concise statement of the pop-appropriation and superhero-as-corpse imagery that defines D*Face's Pop Provocation work.
Why It Matters
The piece is a clean example of D*Face's central method: hijacking the most recognizable American pop icon and rotting it from the inside. By skulling Superman, the supposed paragon of virtue and power, and pairing him with a guilty-pleasure confession lifted from romance-comic lettering, D*Face skewers consumer culture's worship of fame, heroism and indulgence. It sits in the lineage of Lichtenstein and Warhol's comic appropriation but pushes it toward street-art nihilism, using the same Ben-Day-dot vernacular to deliver a darker punchline.
Collector Perspective
As a 2009 etching, this is a more deliberate, intaglio-process work than D*Face's high-volume screenprints, which tends to mean a smaller print run and a more print-collector audience. The Superman subject is among his most sought-after appropriations because the source icon is instantly legible and the skull-defacement is his signature gambit, so demand for the imagery is reliable. The "First edition" designation matters for buyers tracking variants. With the edition size unconfirmed and no D*Face sales surfacing in our comp database, pricing here should be set against verified auction and dealer records rather than assumed; condition of the etched plate impression and an intact signature/numbering will drive value.
Historical Context
The source is the classic DC Superman of the mid-20th-century comics era, rendered in flat primary color with halftone shading and romance-comic speech bubbles. D*Face made the work in 2009, during the Pop Provocation Era when he and peers were translating advertising and comic-book iconography into gallery editions; he had co-founded StolenSpace in London's East End and was building the winged-eyed "D*Dog" and grinning-skull vocabulary that recurs across his output. Defacing Superman specifically taps the post-Lichtenstein tradition of appropriating American superhero imagery while inverting its heroic message.
FAQ
What does this print actually depict?
A single comic panel of Superman in his blue suit, red cape and 'S' chest emblem, but with his face turned into a grinning, horned skull and his chest torn open to reveal another skull. Speech bubbles read 'I FEEL BAD... BUT... IT FEELS... SO GOOD!'
What medium is it?
It is an etching (an intaglio print), made in 2009. This is the First edition of the image.
Is it signed and numbered?
D*Face limited-edition prints are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist, though the signature and numbering on this specific impression are unconfirmed here and should be verified against the physical piece or a certificate.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is unknown/unconfirmed for this release. As an etching it is likely a more limited run than D*Face's larger screenprint editions, but a buyer should confirm the exact number before relying on it.
Who is D*Face?
D*Face is the British street and pop artist Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), known for defacing comic-book, advertising and celebrity imagery with skulls and his winged-eyed 'D*Dog' motif, and for co-founding the StolenSpace gallery.
Related Works
About the Artist
D*Face is the working name of Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), a leading figure in British street art. He came up pasting stickers and posters across London in the early 2000s, then built a pop-fuelled visual language that defaces comic-book romance, advertising and celebrity iconography. Recurring motifs include his winged-eyed D*Dog, grinning skulls and doomed comic-strip lovers. His practice spans screenprints, hand-painted multiples, sculpture and large-scale murals worldwide, and he co-founded the StolenSpace gallery in London. His work satirises consumerism, power and our collective obsession with fame.
Collecting D*Face at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic D*Face prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of D*Face prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new D*Face prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across D*Face and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.