The series only lasted two issues but it is the 1st time a Black character was featured in a solo comic.
Lobo is a fictional Western comic-book hero who is the medium’s first African-American character to headline his own series. He was created by Don “D. J.” Arneson and Tony Tallarico for Dell Comics in 1965. Here is a brief description of his comic book history and some trivia about the character.
Lobo made his debut in Lobo #1 (Dec. 1965), which is also the first comic book with an African-American star. He was a wealthy gunslinger who fought for justice in the Old West, leaving a gold coin with a wolf and an “L” as his signature on the foreheads of the criminals he captured. He had no other name than Lobo, which means “wolf” in Spanish.
Lobo’s second and final issue was Lobo #2 (Oct. 1966), in which he faced a ruthless villain called the King of the West, who wanted to take over the land of the honest ranchers. Lobo managed to defeat him and his gang in a showdown, but not without suffering a bullet wound.
Lobo’s series was canceled after only two issues, due to poor sales and racial discrimination from some distributors and retailers, who refused to carry or display the comic book. It was a bold and groundbreaking attempt to introduce diversity and representation in the comic book industry, but it was ahead of its time and met with resistance and prejudice.
Lobo has not appeared in any other media, except for a brief cameo in an episode of the animated series Justice League Unlimited, where he was seen among other bounty hunters in a bar. He has also been referenced or homaged by other comic book creators, such as Milestone Media’s Hardware and DC Comics’ Lobo (a different character who shares the name).
Lobo is a rare and valuable collector’s item today, as only 200,000 copies of each issue were printed, and only a fraction of them were sold. A copy of Lobo #1 in near-mint condition can fetch up to $5,500 on eBay. Lobo is also a historical and cultural milestone, as he paved the way for other African-American comic book heroes, such as Black Panther, Luke Cage, Black Lightning, and many more.
