Rest in Peace, Adam West

[Rob]

Adam West passes away at age 88

Of course, one role we will remember him for is Kim Possible's own Timothy North, a.k.a. the originator of the title role from the episode "The Fearless Ferret", an episode that not only paid homage and parodied West's most famous role, but served as a double shout-out to the DC Animated Universe, in which West had previously portrayed a similar role in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "The Grey Ghost", and the premise of Batman Beyond, in which a retired Batman mentors a teenage successor also voiced by Will Friedle.

[TransWarpDrive]

Yes, I remember watching the Batman series on ABC Television back in 1966, when I was in second grade. I was already a Batman fan from reading the comic books, but the TV show was a dream come true for me. My hero - Batman - on TV!? I was in seventh heaven! I just loved the show! I took it so seriously - with each "cliff-hanger" on Wednesday night, I'd agonize over whatever deathtrap Batman and Robin found themselves in at the hands of the bad guys. I could hardly wait until Thursday night to see how the Dynamic Duo got themselves free, and defeated the villain(s). I also fantasized about teaming up with Batman and Robin, helping them defeat the bad guys or save the world. This may sound silly, but whenever I got in trouble at home or school, and was feeling upset, I even fantasized about Batman coming to my aid. In those daydreams he’d comfort me, and even take my side against all who opposed me for whatever reason.
It wasn't until I grew older that I realized just how corny and campy Mr. West's Batman show really was - his version of the Caped Crusader was definitely not how Bob Kane created the character back in 1939. The movies and animated TV shows that were produced in the late 80’s and early 90’s depicted the Dark Knight in a much more dramatic, and plausible, manner.
Yet for all its silliness, Mr. West's Batman series still holds a certain charm even today. Despite the fact that it's so corny you can't help but laugh at it; despite the fact that most folks still think of this show instead of the more dramatic version of Batman as depicted in the comics, I still enjoy watching it. It's the "fun" version of Batman - the version that says, "Yes, let's fight crime; let's defeat the bad guys and put them in jail each week, but let's have fun while we do it. Let's not be afraid to laugh at ourselves, and not take things so seriously."
Mr. West had hoped to get other, better roles on television and movies after Batman’s cancellation in 1968. Unfortunately, he found himself typecast as Batman more often than not. Unable to get the big dramatic roles he’d hoped for, he had to settle for whatever work he could get – usually supporting roles where his character provided comic relief.
Yet as the years went by, Mr. West came to embrace his role as “TV’s Batman.” Fans would come up to him enthusiastically, sometimes acting out whole scenes from the TV show in their eagerness to show him how much they enjoyed it. He found himself loved by a whole new generation of Bat-fans, decades after the series had been relegated to syndication.
Like Tina Louise of Gilligan’s Island, or William Shatner of Star Trek, Adam West finally came to accept that Batman would be his ticket to show business immortality. It may not have been exactly what he’d hoped for as an actor, but the outpouring of loyalty and devotion from all the fans he gained down through the years convinced him that his efforts were not in vain.
We’ll always remember him as TV’s Batman. He was truly a hero – especially to one seven-year-old boy in second grade in 1966. Part of that little boy still lives on within me, hoping for Batman to come to my rescue or take me with him on some grand adventure so we could fight crime or make the world a better place. (Although now, I’d want to rescue him from those deathtraps instead! )
Thank you, Mr. West, for sparking a little boy’s imagination, and giving him a hero to look up to. Thank you for taking me on a voyage of fantasy adventure – for enriching my life just a little bit each week. I’ll always be grateful for that. May you rest in peace, my friend.

[Muzzlehatch]

I was a senior in high school back then, and there was a lot of enthusiasm for The Caped Crusader. Fantasy and comic books were taking off and before a year had passed, I had read The Lord of the Rings and bought some old Disney comics that I remembered from a dozen years earlier.