The legendary Adam West passed away on Friday at the age of 88, prompting an outpouring of tributes and memorials from fans on Saturday. West brought Batman to life on television screens and went on to show a great sense of humor about his career and life in general, becoming a beloved staple of pop culture over the years.
This was clear from the messages his fans and admirers posted online, but one that stands out is the short note posted by current Batman Ben Affleck. While their versions of The Caped Crusader are far different from each other, Affleck and the many other actors who played the character owe a lot to Adam West for setting the stage. No matter what you think of the original Batman TV series, Adam West owns that version of the character and trying to follow that path proved disastrous for any of the adaptations that followed. It might be a bit of a stretch to say, but there’s a reason why West’s series was beloved and something like Batman And Robin misses the mark.
Affleck calls West a “kind, funny and an all around great guy,” which you can’t deny given what has been shared in only the short period since his death.
Adam West exemplified heroism. Kind, funny and an all around great guy. Thank you for showing us all how it's done. @therealadamwest
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) June 10, 2017
One of the funnier things to return to the collective attention of the internet is how West had fun with his role as Batman in the phonebook in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Adam West's Sun Valley, Idaho phone book listings. Well played, sir. pic.twitter.com/c4J9DLywlS
— Karaoklee (@karaoklee) June 10, 2017
It’s simple, funny, and represents how the guy seemed to be during his life. Nobody else could put a “crime fighters” section in the local phonebook and be taken seriously, not even someone like Michael Keaton or Affleck. The guy had fun and that’s a nice way to live a life.
(Via Variety)
