Mostly True: The West’s Most Popular Hobo Graffiti Magazine

In Texas in the early 1900s, a little chalk drawing started to appear on boxcars: a minimalist sketch of a figure with a ten gallon hat, smoking a pipe, and signed ‘Bozo Texino.’ This famous railroad tag defied the human lifespan, appearing over 100,000 times over 90 years. Who was Bozo Texino?

Artist Bill Daniel set out to solve the mystery of the man behind the pipe and hat. It turned into a 25-year quest, taking Daniel on a tour of railyards and graffiti throughout the US. The result was a documentary, Who is Bozo Texino? and the book Mostly True, chronicling modern day hobos, rail workers and a forgotten outsider subculture. It’s full of obscure railroad nostalgia, freight riding stories, interviews with hobos and boxcar artists, historical oddities and tons of photos of modern day boxcar tags are all presented in the guise of a vintage rail fanzine.

This wonderful and historical book features photos by Tim Gibson, Gene Poon, Toby Hardman, Joan Peacock, Obscura, Coleslaw Kid, Mike Brodie, Austin Mcmanus, Brad Wescott, Jai Janju, Akasha Rebut, Heidi Tullman, Matokie Slaughter, North Bank Fred, Hans Hansen, Smokin Joe, Eden Batki, Daniel Leen, David Pedroni. Additionally, it features graffiti artists: Bozo Texino, Herbert Meyer, Sidetrack, Smokin Joe, and illustrations by J. Alone and Laura Bellmont.