Popverse's coverage of Comic-Con International: San Diego 2026 is brought to you by Dark Horse Comics.

Working for Marvel Comics is something many artists dream of, but only if it’s the right character. That’s why Tradd Moore, the artist behind The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, initially turned down his first Marvel project. Marvel was looking at revamping Ghost Rider for their 2014 All-New publishing initiative, but Moore didn’t feel any connection to the character. 

“It was interesting. I had no background on Ghost Rider,” Tradd Moore says during a spotlight panel at San Diego Comic Con 2026. “When [Marvel] came to me and pitched Ghost Rider to me, I immediately said no. I would love to work at Marvel, but this ain’t my guy. And they went, ‘No, no, no! You get to make a new Ghost Rider and start from scratch, and work with this amazing creator Felipe Smith.’ And I was like, ‘Why didn’t you start with would you like to create a new Ghost Rider with this amazing talent?’ So, I said yes, largely because Felipe Smith was incredible.”

Moore worked alongside Felipe Smith to create Robbie Reyes, a high school student who works as a mechanic prior to becoming the new Ghost Rider. Smith and Moore had a lot of fun making Reyes different from his predecessors. For example, instead of a motorcycle, Reyes had a Dodge Charger, and his head looked more like a helmet than a flaming skull. Ghost Rider may not have been Tradd Moore’s guy, but Robbie Reyes helped him come around.

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