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Tradd Moore’s Silver Surfer: Black was meant to be a mix of Final Fantasy and Frank Miller
Tradd Moore looked to Frank Miller and Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano when he created Silver Surfer: Black
NewsbyJoshua Lapin-Bertone, Contributing writer
Published on Tue Aug 18 2026
Popverse’s coverage of Comic-Con International: San Diego 2026 is brought to you byDark Horse Comics.
If you’ve read Silver Surfer: Black, then you know it’s one of the trippiest comics Marvel ever published. The comic follows the Surfer’s adventures after he’s pulled into a black hole. Knull, the Symbiote god, shows up, and things get a bit psychedelic and existential. The art is so trippy that Tradd Moore, the penciler of the series, was approached about doing numerous weed related projects after the comic was published.
However, it wasn’t drugs that inspired Moore’s wild and vivid imagery; it was video games and Frank Miller.
“I was thinking of something like, I don’t know if you’re all into video games, the Final Fantasy artist, Yoshitaka Amano. I was trying to think like, what would Amano’s work be like if it was merged with Frank Miller. And basically, Silver Surfer came out,” Tradd Moore says during a spotlight panel at San Diego Comic Con 2026.
I didn’t see it before, but now I get it. And honestly, marrying the visuals of Yoshitaka Amano and Frank Miller is a genius idea that could’ve only come from Tradd Moore. After all, who wouldn’t love a Final Fantasy inspired adventure in the Marvel Universe? Besides, Frank Miller and Yoshitaka Amano can create visuals more powerful than any hallucinogenic drug ever could.
Want more? Make sure you’ve read our list of all the best Marvel Comics stories of all time.
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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