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Although comics pay “peanuts,” Tradd Moore says original art collectors have become his “modern patrons”
Tradd Moore’s original art prints are priced so high that the artist himself can’t afford them
NewsbyJoshua Lapin-Bertone, Contributing writer
Published on Wed Aug 19 2026
Popverse’s coverage of Comic-Con International: San Diego 2026 is brought to you byDark Horse Comics.
Being a successful comic book artist means that dealers will sell your original art for a high price. However, there are times when a successful comic book artist can’t even afford their own prints. Tradd Moore, the artist behind Silver Surfer: Black and The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, sold some of his original art years ago, and now he’s surprised to see just how much it’s going for at conventions.
“It was gradual,” Tradd Moore says during a spotlight panel at San Diego Comic Con 2026. “I don’t know if any of you are art buyers and picking up originals. I couldn’t afford my art work. When I started to see some of those numbers coming in, I was like, ‘Damn, you want to pay me what?’. In the industry, it’s like working for peanuts, you’re working for free. But the world is existing outside, so I kind of in my mind felt like I had almost nothing to do with it. I felt very awkward about it at first. It was weird.”
Moore says he’s grateful to the people who buy art from him, because it allows him to pay the bills and be picky about the projects he takes.
“The people who were investing in my original art were essentially my modern patrons, and it made it to where I could slow down and create the work that I wanted to make and not be on such a brutal timeline with it because of the safety net.”
To give you an idea of how much his original art sells for an interior page from Silver Surfer: Black sold for $26,451 back in 2024. So yeah, it gets expensive
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About Comic-Con International: San Diego
Comic-Con is the premier event for all things comics and related popular art, including movies, television, gaming, interactive multimedia, and so much more! Enjoy cosplay galore and take part in unique programming, exclusive previews, and presentations, not to mention the expansive and diverse Exhibit Hall featuring merchandise and displays representing all fandoms.
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Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.
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