Darren Moore, a 6’3″ senior guard for UC Irvine, is making a name for himself not just on the basketball court, but with a truly unique tattoo that has become the talk of college basketball. The tattoo? A striking depiction of Spider-Man—his childhood hero—spanning across his chest and abdomen.
Moore, a lifelong fan of the Spider-Man comics, has always been drawn to art. As a young boy, he found that the only character he could draw with great detail was Spider-Man. So, when it came time to get his first tattoo, Moore knew exactly what he wanted—though he was determined to put a unique twist on it.
“When I was younger, I was really into art, and Spider-Man was the only thing I could draw in great detail,” Moore explained. “When I got into tattoos, I thought it’d be great to get a Spider-Man tattoo, but I wanted to do something different.”
The idea for the tattoo took root in 2007, when Moore and some friends were brainstorming new designs. A suggestion to tattoo something on his chest sparked the idea, and he soon found himself in the chair at a tattoo parlor near the Chino-Montclair border.
The design incorporates Spider-Man’s iconic logo and webbing, but Moore didn’t stop there. Inspired by the all-black Venom costume featured in Spider-Man 3, Moore added Venom and Carnage—two of his favorite comic book villains—to complete the piece.
“The Spider-Man logo and the webbing took six hours. It was extreme pain,” Moore recalled. “But I wanted to incorporate the forces of good and evil, so I added Venom and Carnage on the sides.”
For Moore, the tattoo represents more than just his love for Spider-Man—it symbolizes his childhood, his passion for art, and the things he truly loves. “It’s like my past, my childhood, something I really, really love,” he said.
His Spider-Man tattoo has become a recognizable part of his identity, especially among UC Irvine fans. At home games, Moore is often greeted with shouts of “Spidey!” from fans, and the public address announcer even calls him by his superhero nickname.
Moore’s journey with tattoos began at age 18, when he got his first ink—a “God’s Child” cross on his right arm. Since then, he’s accumulated several meaningful tattoos, including ones dedicated to his family. His arms bear the names of his grandmother, LaJunna, and his mother, Ossie. On his back, Moore sports a basketball surrounded by a rosary, along with the phrase “Motivated by Jesus; Dedicated to the Game,” a tribute he got during his freshman year at Northern Colorado.
In addition to his impressive tattoo collection, Moore has been an essential player for the UC Irvine Anteaters. Leading the team with 17 points per game, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.5 steals, he’s also shooting an impressive 50% from the field. If his performance continues, he’s a strong contender for the All-Big West First Team at the end of the season.
Although Moore no longer spends as much time drawing, he can still sketch a nearly flawless Spider-Man. And, he’s not finished with his tattoo yet.
“I want to do more with it, but it’s so hard because I don’t have a lot of space left,” Moore said. “But I’m still thinking about it.”
Moore’s Spider-Man tattoo isn’t just a testament to his love of comics—it’s an extension of his identity, his passion, and his unshakable connection to the things that shaped him as both a player and a person.
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