Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Danzig (First Edition)”?
Artist Statement
DANZIG POSTER Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 300 Image of Glenn Danzig, the front man for Danzig, and ex-Misfits member. This print is part of the Punk set, which was released just after the death of Joe Strummer, in 2002.
Summary
Danzig is a 2003 screen print published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 300, measuring 18 x 24 inches. It depicts Glenn Danzig, frontman of the band Danzig and former Misfits member. The source notes the print is part of the Punk set, released just after the death of Joe Strummer in 2002. Rendered as a poster portrait in Fairey's high-contrast graphic style, it sits among his early-2000s music tributes. The edition of 300 makes it one of his more accessible music titles. Source facts confirm the year, medium, dimensions, edition, and subject.
Why It Matters
Danzig is a well-documented entry in Fairey's Punk set, a group of poster portraits honoring punk and hardcore figures that the source ties to the period around Joe Strummer's death in 2002. By portraying Glenn Danzig - frontman of Danzig and a former member of the Misfits - Fairey paid tribute to a pillar of American punk and horror-rock, extending his deep engagement with counterculture music. The Punk set context gives this print added meaning: it is part of a coherent thematic group rather than a standalone image, connecting to companion portraits of Ramone, Rotten, Strummer, and Ian MacKaye. For collectors, the Punk set framing creates a natural completist pursuit, encouraging acquisition of the full group. The edition of 300 keeps it accessible, making it an attainable way into Fairey's music output. Its high-contrast poster style captures the raw energy of its subject while fitting cleanly into Fairey's broader graphic vocabulary. As a verifiable music portrait with documented subject and set membership, it stands as a solid, recognizable piece that anchors the punk corner of his music series and rewards collectors building a genre-focused grouping.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to punk and hardcore music fans as well as Fairey collectors, giving it crossover reach. Its membership in the Punk set makes it especially attractive to completists who want to assemble the full group of punk portraits, including Ramone, Rotten, and Strummer. At 18 x 24 inches it is a standard, easily displayed poster size that hangs well in a music-themed set. The edition of 300 keeps it accessible for newer collectors. Within a collection it anchors the punk segment of Fairey's music output and connects to other rock posters from the early 2000s, rewarding genre-focused and series-minded buyers alike.
Historical Context
Released in 2003 by Obey Giant, Danzig is part of Fairey's Punk set, which the source links to the period just after Joe Strummer's death in 2002. The set gathered poster portraits of punk and hardcore figures, reflecting Fairey's roots in and reverence for that subculture. By depicting Glenn Danzig - of Danzig and formerly the Misfits - Fairey honored a key figure in American punk and horror-rock. The work sits within the prolific early-2000s music output that preceded his Obama-era prominence. Issued in a first edition of 300 at 18 x 24 inches, it documents how Fairey channeled his street-art sensibility into music tributes organized into coherent thematic sets.
FAQ
Who is depicted in this print?
It depicts Glenn Danzig, frontman of the band Danzig and a former member of the Misfits. The source identifies him directly, making this a tribute to a key figure in American punk and horror-rock within Fairey's music output.
What is the Punk set?
The source notes this print is part of the Punk set, released just after the death of Joe Strummer in 2002. The set gathered poster portraits of punk and hardcore figures, connecting Danzig to companions like Ramone, Rotten, and Strummer.
What is the edition size?
It was published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 300, measuring 18 x 24 inches. That relatively large run makes it one of Fairey's more accessible music titles and an attainable entry into his punk portraits.
Why collect it as part of a set?
Because it belongs to the Punk set, collectors often pursue the full group of punk portraits together. Acquiring Danzig alongside Ramone, Rotten, and Strummer builds a coherent genre-focused grouping rather than a standalone image.
Related Works
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, South Carolina) is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist, and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His 1989 “André the Giant Has a Posse” sticker grew into the global OBEY GIANT campaign — an ongoing experiment in propaganda, obedience, and visual culture. He reached worldwide recognition with the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, now held by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Across screen prints, stencils, murals, and collage, Fairey channels propaganda aesthetics toward themes of peace, justice, environmentalism, and civil rights. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and LACMA.