Remembering Brandon Moore: the Rise, Peak, and Legacy of the 'What Are Those?' Creator
By Elena Rostova
The turning point for Moore came in early 2018. Marvel Studios released Black Panther, directed by fellow Bay Area native Ryan Coogler. In a pivotal scene set in Shuri’s Wakandan laboratory, T'Challa walks in wearing open-toed traditional leather footwear. Shuri points directly down at his feet, shouting the line before revealing her sound-dampening sneakers. The theater erupted in laughter worldwide.
For Moore, sitting in a movie theater alongside his children, the feeling was complicated. While he appreciated seeing his comedic voice on the silver screen, the moment arrived without compensation, consultation, or formal credit. In interviews shortly before his death, Moore reflected candidly on the reality of watching a billion-dollar film studio deploy his vocal delivery while he struggled to support his family through local club gigs and social media promotions. The system simply had no apparatus to credit the street comedian who wrote the cultural script.
Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.
