To the cemetery, Robin!! RIP Adam West.

[lttgtimaatisgdaicfi]

At an age, 88, 1 year before his Batman changed in 89.

Okay, that one was weird.

 

[lttgtimaatisgdaicfi]

As we get older, we tend to get more caught up in the camp aspect of the show; the tongue in cheek humor and satire, but, when you look deep, it was incredibly progressive, and West's Batman was a true, blue hero. I feel bad whenever someone whose work I enjoyed passes away, but this one was rough, because I feel like West's Batman left an indelible mark, not only on my childhood, but on my identity and I would wager, even, my own moral compass. One of the reasons I love Batman is because, for all the gadgets or billions of dollars, he represents the resilience of the human condition. Someone who overcame great tragedy, and, even, used it to fuel their purpose in helping others, and none were as resilient as West's Batman.


He was not dark and brooding, even though he had every reason to be, he was a well adjusted, charitable philanthropist whose alter ego happened to be a crime fighting, duly deputized agent of the law who used his wealth and resources, both as Bruce Wayne and Batman, to help people. Even those criminals who he would stop, he would help. This wasn't a Batman who brutalized or took out misplaced aggression for his childhood traumas on those who would seek to do harm, this was a guy that believed that no one was beyond redemption, which is, perhaps, one of the most difficult codas for anyone to live by, and he would help you even when no one else would.

To a little 7-year old kid, who would get off the bus and make sure he was planted in front of the TV before Batman started at 5 PM, that was serious stuff, and, through all the camp that we've grown to appreciate, today, I believe it still is. We live in a world that has become increasingly full of moral and ethical gray areas, and, in following that thread, we live in a world where our heroes have become increasingly ambiguous, often times trading in the blue and yellow for shades of gray. To know that there exists a depiction of a Batman preoccupied with justice and harmony in the 1966 series is comforting, and it would not have been possible without Adam West's wonderful portrayal.

From Mayor West to The Gray Ghost to Batman, Adam West entertained and inspired. I was fortunate enough to get to meet him back in April, and seeing this news today was not only heartbreaking, but shocking. To know that he was going through something like Leukemia, and, still, he was going out and doing Cons, spreading joy to fans, it really puts things in perspective about what kind of person he must've been. They say to never meet your heroes, but, while it was a brief, passing exchange, he struck me as a kind and gracious individual, and that's really all you can ask for.

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

I'd imagine the large majority of Freaks over 35 were devoted fans of the show as a kid. Definitely a big part of my pop culture fandom as a tike.

RIP LEGEND

I caught it on reruns when I was younger

 

[barryo]

Loved 66 Batman. West made that role what it still is today where I don't think anyone else would have.
My 4 yo granddaughter loves the classic show and won't watch any other version & I've tried to get her to watch all of them. She ain't having it.......
.

 

[xipotec]

Loved 66 Batman. West made that role what it still is today where I don't think anyone else would have.
My 4 yo granddaughter loves the classic show and won't watch any other version & I've tried to get her to watch all of them. She ain't having it.......
.

Even the animated?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wor-Gar]

Okay, that one was weird.

don't make fun of my autism.

 

[PopCultKid]

I caught it on reruns when I was younger

Oh yea, me too. I wasn't alive yet for its original airing, but I was watching it avidly in the early-late 80's

 

[batfan08]

Oh yea, me too. I wasn't alive yet for its original airing, but I was watching it avidly in the early-late 80's

It's amazing how timeless it is, while being so of its time. I'm a 90s kid, and, like I said, I lived for those TV Land reruns. It's had such a multigenerational impact on the American Pop Culture Zeitgeist; hell, I would even say it transcended that to become a global phenomenon, at the height of its popularity; but my mom and my uncle watched it as kids in the '60s, I watched it as a kid in the late '90s, and now, I've made a concerted effort to introduce my little cousin, who's 6, to it, whenever he's around. Through the Animated Series; several different iterations, actually, and the live action films, he insists that his favorite is the Adam West Batman. If I let him roam around in Arkham Knight, he never fails to pick the West suit and drive "his favorite;" the Barris Batmobile, allthewhile, in the back of my head, I'm thinking "I really hope my kid's this cool someday."

Something about it just resonates with people of all ages. A good friend of mine said he remembers when it first came on in 1966, and how his buddy, who was on leave, was describing it to everybody back on base. It was revolutionary for its time, and what I love is how it's proven just how resilient it can be. From Keaton to Nolan, there was a large portion of time where much of the public didn't appreciate it, nor view it as "true" to the character, as they'd come to know him in the post-TDKR landscape, but it was wonderful to see that "Batmania" recaptured from 2012-2013 with the swaths of merchandise; action figures, apparel, comics, and, finally, the show's long awaited release on Blu-Ray. I feel like it's nice that, at the very least, West, Ward, and Newmar got to see that resurgence in popularity.

 

[barryo]

Even the animated?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No, 1966 or nothing.....lol
She's the same way with star wars, she's not into the clone wars cartoons or any of that........she wants to watch the "real star wars" (her words) which is ANH, ESB, & ROTJ.
It was the movies I introduced her to first, it's what she wants to watch, I don't argue....

 

[Johnny1378]

Was on the road, yesterday when the news broke, and so I didn't read about it until yesterday evening. At any rate, just wanted to pay my respects. I first saw the 60s tv show in reruns, as a little kid, too young at the time to even pick up on the show's campiness. West's version of the Caped Crusader was my first exposure to the Batman character. It's for that reason that, even though it's not my preferred rendition of the character, I still look back at it with fondness. In fact, the more time passes, the more I appreciate the 60s Batman series. It was definitely a product of its time, but that also made it quite unique. Rest In Peace, Mr. West, and thank you for introducing me to Batman.

 

[Spartan Rex]

 

[Spartan Rex]

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[Iggyrox]

Bat Signal Shines from L.A. City Hall

https://ktla.com/2017/06/15/bat-signal-shines-from-l-a-city-hall-in-honor-of-actor-adam-west/

 

[Murderofcrows71]