I have always had an interest in western art. Frederic Remington has always been one of my favorite artists. I am especially inspired by his bronze sculptures.
When I was young my grandfather lived with us for a while. He loved to read Louis L'Amour western novels. I am pretty sure one of those was the first real book I ever read.
While my grandfather lived with us, Gunsmoke was mandatory television. We only had one television so we all gathered in the living room at night to watch our parent's favorite shows. As children, we only got to choose the shows on Saturday morning. Gunsmoke and Perry Mason were at the top of my grandfather's list. Roy Rogers, The Rifleman, The Lone Ranger, and Maverick were all great shows as far as I was concerned.
As I became a teen I started watching the early Clint Eastwood westerns. Then I was completely hooked. A friend and I spent several hours at a Clint Eastwood western film marathon. We watched four of Eastwoods westerns in a row. If I remember correctly we paid $2 to get in. :) We thought about going again the next day but we did not have another $2.
Below are a couple more options for materials that might look good.
Weathered backer board with maple skull.