Adam West, best known as Batman in the 1960's television series, dead at the age of 88.
By: Karl Stern (@dragonkingkarl, @wiwcool, karl@whenitwascool.com)
The adam west family included this photo in social media posts about the actor's death.
Adam West, best known as Batman in the 1960's television series, died June 10, 2017 at the age of 88. The death was announced by his family on social media including a statement on his Twitter account which read, "Our beloved AW passed away last night. He was the greatest. We'll miss him like crazy. We know you'll miss him too - West Family".
His family further stated, "“Our dad always saw himself as The Bright Knight and aspired to make a positive impact on his fans' lives. He was and always will be our hero.”
Many think of Adam West as an actor who became typecast as his most famous role, the Batman, which debuted in 1966. Yet, while acting parts did seem to dry up for West, he embraced the colorful and zany interpretation of Batman and continued to find work being, well, Adam West the man who played the 1960's Batman, well into his eighties. So, in the end, playing and being typecast as Batman probably significantly extended his career and public visibility far longer than if he had moved on to other sizable acting roles.
In many ways, he reminded me of the late Clayton Moore who became typecast as the Lone Ranger more than a decade earlier. Like West, Clayton Moore embraced being the Lone Ranger and remained the face of the character even after numerous attempts to relaunch the role. To this day, I would argue, that no one is more recognizable as the Lone Ranger than was Clayton Moore.
While other famous actors have played Batman since the 1960's, the near continuous reruns of the 1960's Batman television show have still kept Adam West as the seminal Batman to many fans.
In a world where our heroes have become grim and gritty, dark and angry, there is an enduring charm to the colorful, wacky, amusing, and above all- entertaining Adam West- forever the Batman.
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