Source
“
First African-American title character of a comic book series: Lobo
Lobo is a fictional Western comic-book hero and holds the distinction of being the first African-American character to star in his own series within the medium.
Lobo, the pioneering African-American Western comic-book hero, had his moment in Dell Comics’ two-issue series titled “Lobo” (December 1965 & September 1966). The series, sometimes referred to as Dell Comics #12-439-512 and #12-439-610 due to Dell’s unique numbering system, was brought to life by Dell editor and writer Don “D. J.” Arneson and artist Tony Tallarico.
This comic chronicled the adventures of a wealthy African-American gunslinger who went by the name “Lobo.” After defeating criminals, Lobo would leave behind a unique calling card: a gold coin featuring a wolf image and the letter “L.”
The creation of Lobo was a collaborative effort. Tony Tallarico, in a 2006 interview, claimed that he and Arneson co-created the character based on Tallarico’s plot idea, with Arneson handling the scripting. However, the comic faced challenges upon release. Some sellers were opposed to Lobo, who represented the first black Western hero, leading to the discontinuation of the series after only one issue sold a limited number of copies.
In contrast, Arneson disputed Tallarico’s version of Lobo’s creation. He stated in a 2010 interview that he was the sole creator of Lobo, developing the character from the book “The Negro Cowboys” by Philip Durham and Everett L. Jones. Arneson added various elements to the character, drawing inspiration from historical facts, figures like Robin Hood and the Lone Ranger, and the adventurous spirit of the American cowboy depicted in popular Western novels and movies.
Lobo made a comeback in 2017 through InDELLible Comics’ “All-New Popular Comics #1.” Additionally, in 2018, a Lobo novella was included in the collection “Fantastic 4N1,” written by author David Noe.
In recognition of his groundbreaking work on the first comic book starring an African-American character, Tony Tallarico received the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention’s Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement in May 2006. The honor was bestowed during a reception dinner held at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.