It’s now been 21 years since Dirk West’s passing, but the legacy of the Lubbock legend lives on through hundreds of his sketches scattered across the country.
Dirk West was the epitome of a Renaissance man: he owned an advertising agency, was a notable artist dabbling in both cartoons and carving, served on the Lubbock city council and even as mayor, and was a proud Red Raider. West’s son, Tom, said his father represented Lubbock and west Texas through and through.
“He was an interesting guy with a lot of talent,” said West. “He loved being in Lubbock, Tech. He stayed put, he stayed local.”
Still not sure if you know who Dirk West is? The next time you spot “Raider Red,” say a little ‘thank you,’ to Mr. West, as it was one of his many creations. Now, he’s one the most iconic figures in Texas Tech history, but it all began with a simple sketch.
“It was about the seventies, he came up with the raider, and you know he got it from ‘Yosemite Sam,'” explained West. “He went on doing the cartoons and they ran through the football seasons twice a week, becoming extremely popular, and it just took off from there.”
It doesn’t stop at “Raider Red.” West’s sketches of other schools’ mascots have been picked up from all over. His son shared one time he noticed his father’s sketch of the Texas Longhorn, “Bevo,” tattooed on a man’s arm at church. He is even accredited for having also created the Nebraska Husker’s mascot.
“He was also the Cotton Bowl cartoonist, so when Nebraska came to play Texas in 1974, he did this big husker. The Nebraska people loved it, so now that’s their mascot.”
West also worked for the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, creating cartoon strips for the paper. Some of his political cartoons even landed a spot in the Washington Post. His son shared that it only took 10-15 minutes to do it once he had a vision of what he was going for. However, no matter what he drew, one thing always stayed the same: a cross in the lower right corner of his name.
“He always had a cross on it,” said West. “That’s a neat legacy.”
West died on July 26, 1996 from a heart attack. Right before he passed he had begun to carve wooden figures, a new hobby he seemed to also pick up effortlessly. Tom shared his father was always doing something, and to this day, it’s always a warm surprise to see his work in unexpected places.
“It’s a neat for our family to hear ‘golly, I miss your dad. I love his stuff,’ and then see it hanging somewhere in their house,” said West. “The family really appreciates that.”
While Raider Red has been around for a while, it’s without a doubt he continues to reign as one of Lubbock’s biggest celebrities.
Stephanie Rhode, director of the Texas Tech spirit program, said the raider keeps a busy schedule and made 400 appearances in the past year.
“I think the qualities we are all so proud of having, Raider Red has those qualities,” said Rhode. “He’s very friendly, and everyone knows west Texans are very friendly. He’s very eager to make people laugh. He’s a cowboy, and those are things that have made him so relatable to the people that have come to Texas Tech because he represents our region so well.”
So what does it take to be Raider Red?
Rhode explained that there are actually two students who take on the role of Raider Red: one student from the Texas Tech Saddle Tramps, a male student organization, as well as one female student from the High Riders.
The students must be in good academic standing with the university, and have a balance of both discipline and humor in order to play the part of the famous raider.
“They have to be in great shape, have playful attitude and respectful attitude,” said Rhode. “The public really looks to Raider Red as the playful representative of Texas Tech.”
In 2012, Raider Red won the National Mascot of the Year award, a title the spirit program anticipates they will bring back home again sometime soon. However, more than just a mascot, alongside the Masked Rider, Raider Red symbolizes the campus pride and tradition that is Texas Tech University.
“If I were Dirk West, and I could see where Raider Red is today, I think I would be very proud and very humbled that something I just thought of means so much to so many people.”
