R.I.P. Adam West
The world awoke today to the sad news that it had lost one of its beloved superheroes: Mr. Adam West. West, who portrayed Bruce Wayne and the Caped Crusader on the campy series Batman for three seasons from 1966–68, was 88.
According to family, he had been recently diagnosed with leukemia and fought a "short but brave battle" against the disease.
A family statement lovingly referred to West as "The Bright Knight" and his ongoing commitment to his fans:
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.
Though his career initially suffered in the years after Batman, West eventually made the decision to embrace his ties to the character and made several tongue-in-cheek appearances as himself on many sitcoms and did Batman voiceover work for various animated series. He also gained a new generation of fans as the Mayor of Quahog, Rhode Island on Family Guy.
As the news of West's death broke, friends and colleagues shared their condolences online. R.I.P. Adam West.