Gerald Glynn “Dirk” West (1930–1996) was an editorial cartoonist, journalist, and mayor from Lubbock, Texas, most famous for his caricatures of collegiate mascots. He was born in Littlefield, Texas but his family moved to Lubbock soon after. He attended Texas Tech University where he drew cartoons for The University Daily student newspaper. He appeared as “Uncle Dirk” on a local children’s program for three years while heading up his advertising agency, West Advertising. Beginning in the 1960s, he cartooned for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. West’s most famous works featured caricatures of the sports mascots of various universities, mostly those of the Southwest Conference (and later the Big 12 Conference), but other schools appeared as well, usually because they were playing Texas Tech. His cartoons appeared in program books, on posters, and in magazines. Two of his characters would eventually be officially adopted by their respective universities: Texas Tech’s Raider Red and the University of Nebraska’s Herbie Husker.
Dirk West was inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame in 1997.
