Gerald Glynn "Dirk" West (October 23, 1928 – July 26, 1996) was an editorial cartoonist, journalist, and mayor from Lubbock, Texas, most famous for his caricatures of collegiate mascots.

[3][4] West drew a semi-weekly one-panel comic in the Avalanche-Journal's sports section where he would lampoon college mascots and coaches alike, as well as the stereotypes of various universities.

After serving several years on the local Parks and Recreation Board and the city council, West was elected mayor of Lubbock in 1978,[1] but disliked politics so much as a result that he did not run for a second term (his single term ran from 1978 to 1980).

He returned to his advertising agency and his cartooning, both of which he kept up until his death from a heart attack in 1996.

An exhibition dedicated to West and his work opened September 25, 2005, at the Museum of Texas Tech University.