My Only True Batman Is Now Gone

Yesterday, my heart sank when this message came across My Facebook News Feed from Adam West's Family. It said: "It's with great sadness that we are sharing this news...Adam West passed away peacefully last night after a short but brave battle with leukemia. He was a beloved father, husband, grandfather, and great-grandfather. There are no words to describe how much we'll miss him. We know you'll miss him too and we want you to know how much your love and support meant to him throughout the years. Hug your loved ones today".

Adam West as Batman was one of my First Childhood Heroes. I had ALL The Batman Swag.  Pajamas, Lunch Boxes, T-Shirts, Batman Slippers, and a Full Batman Costume, because I dressed up as Batman on more than one occasion, for Halloween, or whenever I just felt like it!. I LOVED the TV Show, and would race home from school to watch it, (The series ran on ABC from 1966 Thru 1968, but it went into TV Syndication Land immediately following it's initial ABC run). His battles with The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin, Egghead, and others, were simply LEGENDARY to me. However, my favorite Batman nemesis was Cat Woman, (in particular, Julie Newmar). Their flirtations toward each other and the Sexual Tension between them was OFF THE CHARTS! (Even though I was a Little Boy, there was something about Julie Newmar and Batgirl, (Yvonne Craig), that I KNEW that I liked!) :-)

And on top of it all Batman was a FABULOUS DANCER as evidenced by his fancy footwork, in conjunction to shaking his cape while doing "The BATUSI!" 

Yes, the TV show was Campy, but Adam West was MASTERFUL in his depiction as BATMAN. I still much prefer the television series over the darker-flavored series of movies that have come out in the last 30 years. And all due respect to Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer. George Clooney, Christian Bale,and Ben Affleck....Ben Affleck? Please!  There will always be ONLY one BATMAN for me, and his name is ADAM WEST.

Another piece of my childhood is now gone.

R.I.P. BATMAN   :(