  A \textit{$k$-total coloring} of a graph $G$ is an assignment of $k$ colors
to its elements (vertices and edges) so that adjacent or incident elements have
different colors. The total chromatic number is the smallest integer $k$ for
which the graph $G$ has a $k$-total coloring. Clearly, this number is at least
$\Delta(G)+1$, where $\Delta(G)$ is the maximum degree of $G$. When the lower
bound is reached, the graph is said to be Type~1. The upper bound of
$\Delta(G)+2$ is a central problem that has been open for fifty years, is
verified for graphs with maximum degree 4 but not for regular graphs.
  Most classified direct product of graphs are Type~1. The particular cases of
the direct product of cycle graphs $C_m \times C_n$, for $m =3p, 5\ell$ and
$8\ell$ with $p \geq 2$ and $\ell \geq 1$, and arbitrary $n \geq 3$, were
previously known to be Type 1 and motivated the conjecture that, except for
$C_4 \times C_4$, all direct product of cycle graphs $C_m \times C_n$ with $m,n
\geq 3$ are Type 1.
  We give a general pattern proving that all $C_m \times C_n$ are Type 1,
except for $C_4 \times C_4$. dditionally, we investigate sufficient conditions
to ensure that the direct product reaches the lower bound for the total
chromatic number.
