Meet the Accidental Cartographer Behind Our New Red Rocks Tee

Mid-century Western art, ’90s punk doodles and one iconic Colorado venue collide in our latest artist collaboration.

There are a lot of ways to draw Red Rocks. We wanted something a little less expected.

So we commissioned Crested Butte artist Luke Schroeder to capture the Red Rocks experience in his signature style—playful, wildly detailed and packed with personality. The result is an illustrated world where music, mountains, trails, bikes, tailgates and quirky characters all come together. Part vintage concert poster. Part old-school comic. 

 

Meet Luke Schroeder

A lifelong doodler, Luke creates highly detailed illustrations inspired by the places and experiences that make life in the mountains so much fun. His distinctive style pulls from two very different eras: the playful storytelling and larger-than-life characters of mid-century Western art, mixed with the nostalgia of his ’90s youth—grunge, punk culture and spontaneous sketchbook doodles.

The result is something entirely his own: outdoor art that's playful, unexpected and doesn't take itself too seriously. Luke uses character design and humorous storytelling to fill his scenes with tiny moments, quirky characters and details you might not notice until the second or third look.

 

The Accidental Cartographer

Luke never set out to become known for maps.

His journey into cartography began with a chance encounter with the work of mid-century Western artist Jo Mora. Inspired by Mora's illustrated maps filled with exaggerated characters, elaborate scenery and decorative borders, Luke decided to try the idea himself.

He started close to home, reimagining Crested Butte's extreme terrain maps by combining that mid-century influence with his own ’90s grunge and punk doodle style. The result became what Luke now considers his signature body of work.

People connected with the maps because they didn't simply show a place—they captured what it feels like to be there.

Luke calls himself an “accidental cartographerr.” He never expected to be sought out to create maps—and, ironically, admits he has a notoriously bad sense of direction.

Red Rocks, Doodled

For our collaboration, we asked Luke to turn his attention to one of Colorado's most loved places: Red Rocks.

Rather than simply illustrating the amphitheater, Luke captured the whole experience. Look closely and you'll find music, trails, bikes, tailgating, larger-than-life characters and plenty of visual surprises tucked throughout the scene.

The finished artwork feels both familiar and completely unexpected: retro Western inspiration meets ’90s grunge and punk sketch energy, with a whole lot of Colorado personality.

We brought Luke's artwork to life on our new Red Rocks Born to Rock Tees—a wearable celebration of Red Rocks, Colorado creativity and the fun of one of our favorite places.

100% Born to Rock!