Garret Bock's Strange Steamboat

Story by Dan Greeson
Photography courtesy Garret Bock

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS – Like any superhero, Garret Bock’s alter ego is fairly unassuming: he is a middle school teacher in Steamboat Springs. But when he’s off the clock, Bock’s superpowers of art and creativity bring the colorful world of comic books to life.

Formerly the manager/director of a museum in San Francisco, Bock was able to flex his creativity at that job and build dioramas, test pinball machines, and curate a wide selection of art. When he moved to Steamboat Springs, Bock transferred his skill and creative ability into painting, printmaking and robot-suit-building as part of an ambitious art project he dubbed “Strange Steamboat.”

“I make a lot of art, and see what sticks,” Bock says. “I’m constantly working on new stuff – whatever brings enjoyment to others.” When the artist saw that Steamboat’s iconic “dragon car” would no longer be part of the annual Halloween festivities in 2019, he decided to create something new for people to look forward to: intricate, colorful robot suits, constructed out of cardboard and based on Japanese comics. “People loved it,” Bock says. “There was a kid dressed as a knight who kept trying to fight me, but the first suit was poorly built and was falling apart as I was wearing it downtown.” Encouraged by his success, he made two sturdier costumes: one based on Evel Knievel and another on the bright neon-pink Rabbit Ears Motel sign.

These creations, especially his robot suits, have been a hit among his students and other Steamboat locals. “One of the funny things is sometimes my students don’t know it’s me, but I call them by name and they say, ‘OMG, the robot knows my name!’”

Bock’s art generally draws from the blocky, bright look of ‘80s robot cartoons and comic books – think Transformers, ThunderCats and Japanese mechs. “I think comics area really accessible style of storytelling and communicating through images,” Bock explains. “Memes are prevalent these days, and each meme is essentially just a comic book panel.”

Bock’s art fuses this style with the quintessential characters and imagery of Steamboat and the Old West. “The storyline is a work in progress,” he says, “But there’s a lot of things in Steamboat that are part of our culture – things like skiing, cowboys, history, nature – those are things that I love and I’m trying to mix my characters with that in some shape or form. We have our own art scene here; sometimes I fit into it and sometimes I don’t. I just want to make things that I love.”

One of his art series, located at Big Iron Coffee, depicts historical figures of the Old West battling the monsters of science fiction and urban legends. In one such piece, the Bassett sisters – Northwest Colorado’s heroines who ran with the Wild Bunch and took on Big Cattle – take on Frankenstein’s monster. “Their story has been overlooked, in my opinion,” Bock says. “I think their story is at least as compelling as Butch Cassidy and Billy the Kid.”

Bock previously taught middle school math and science, but will begin teaching art this coming school year. “It’s going to get wacky in my classroom,” he laughs. While he wants to instill a love of art to his classes, he also wants to give each student’s creative style room to breathe. “I definitely want to help them find their own ways of expressing themselves,” Bock says. “No matter your decisions in life, you’re best and most passionate about the ones that you come to on your own. I can show them what I do and if they want to participate in that, that’s awesome. If not, I want to help them find their own way.”

Learn more about Garret Bock’s artwork at www.GarretBock.com.