About Mostly True: The West's Most Popular Hobo Graffiti Magazine: In early 1900s Texas, a simple chalk drawing began appearing on boxcars: a minimalist figure wearing a 10-gallon hat, smoking a pipe, and signed “Bozo Texino.” This iconic railroad tag mysteriously persisted for nearly a century, appearing over 100,000 times. But who was Bozo Texino? Artist and filmmaker Bill Daniel embarked on a 25-year journey to uncover the identity of the man behind the pipe and hat.
His quest led him through railyards and graffiti across the U.S., culminating in the documentary *Who is Bozo Texino?* and the book Mostly True—a deep dive into modern-day hobos, rail workers, and an overlooked outsider subculture. Filled with obscure railroad history, freight-riding tales, interviews with hobos and boxcar artists, and a wealth of photos of contemporary boxcar tags, the work is presented in the style of a vintage rail fanzine.
The book spotlights beloved railroad artists Matokie Slaughter (Margaret Kilgallen), Colossus of Roads (Russell Butler), Herby (Herbert Meyer), Mind Detergent (Big Will), Twist (Barry McGee), and others, including an interview with itinerant sign painter Heidi Tullman. Contributing writers, researchers, photographers, and artists include: John Held Jr., Joey Alone, Duke Riley, Old Broads, Daniel Leen, Eden Batki, Andy Dreamingwolf, North Bank Fred, Michele Lockwood, The Historical Graffiti Society, Susan Phillips, Walt Curtis, Beau Patrick Coulon, O. Winston Link, Murray Hammond, Brad Wescott, Marisa Evans, Roxy Gordon, and many, many others
Mostly True: The West's Most Popular Hobo Graffiti Magazine
Bill Daniel
