Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
This is the first issue of Lobo, the first major comic book series to be headlined by a Black character. Written by Don "D.J." Arneson and illustrated by Tony Tallarico, the comic follows a Black cowboy wrongly accused of a crime. Branded a fugitive, Lobo becomes a vigilante defender of justice in the Old West.
Lobo stars an unnamed Black Civil War veteran who heads West after the war to become a cowboy. A fellow cowboy murders their boss and frames the protagonist for the crime, calling him "Lobo" in reference to his status as a lone wolf. Now a wanted man, Lobo fights to try to clear his name, helping those in need and defending justice along the way.
Lobo was created by writer Don "D.J." Arneson and illustrator Tony Tallarico. The series published only two issues before it was discontinued due to low sales.
In 2006, Tallarico received the Pioneer Award from the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention in recognition of his work in the creation of the first major Black comic book character.
This collection contains a collector's issue of vol. 1, no. 1 of the comic series Lobo, published by Dell Publishing Co. in 1965. The cover has the taglines "Branded for Life! An Honest Man... Blamed for a Crime He did not Commit! Read the First Dramatic Adventures of Lobo, a Fugitive on the Side of the Law!" The cover depicts Lobo, a Black man in a denim cowboy outfit wielding a pistol. He is posed in front of a wanted poster and a background of cowboys riding horses and dueling.
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.
[Identification of item], First Issue of "Lobo" Comic Book, MSS 00479, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Purchase (Accession 2025.0040, 2025 April)
Processed and finding aid written by Katie Bushman, 2025 April.
Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
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[Identification of item], First Issue of "Lobo" Comic Book, MSS 00479, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.