The city of Los Angeles will come together to celebrate the life of, and pay tribute to, Batman icon Adam West. As previously reported, West sadly passed away earlier this week after a short battle with leukemia. The beloved actor was perhaps most famous for starring in the camp Batman television series and related movie in the 1960s, an extremely light-hearted but highly endearing interpretation of the comic book character.

West’s on screen legacy didn’t end there, however. The man showed his modern comedic ability by voicing a fictionalized version of himself in hit animated series, Family Guy. Ever the hard-worker, the man continued acting as recently as this year with a guest role in Powerless and by lending his vocal abilities to Batman Vs. Two-Face.

In order to pay tribute to the late actor, DC Comics announced that the city of Los Angeles will come together to light a real-life Bat Signal in commemoration of the much loved figure. The signal will be lit by Mayor Eric Garcetti and L.A.P.D. Chief Charlie Beck at City Hall on the evening of Thursday, June 15th at 9pm. The image will be projected onto the Los Angeles City Hall tower and the event promises the attendance of some “Bat-Guests” to boot.

Attending fans are encouraged to come in their full sixties Batman regalia in honor of West. Any fans that are unable to attend but still wish to pay their respects are encouraged by the actor’s family to donate to the Adam West Memorial Fund, the proceeds of which will go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Camp Rainbow Gold.

The event is an incredibly fitting tribute to a man who is still synonymous with the role of Bruce Wayne, despite roughly half a decade passing since the original TV series and many other actors playing the part since. The fact that many people still remember West’s Batman – even those born far more recently – is a testament to the popularity of the interpretation and how much the outrageous tone of the show resonates with fans.

Even Batman fans who staunchly prefer the Dark Knight’s more gritty incarnations will likely have to admit that without West’s portrayal of the superhero, many of the later big and small screen adaptations may not have come to fruition. The ’60s Batman show also serves as a reminder that the superhero genre should never be taken totally seriously and this is one of many, many reasons why the Batman community will never forget Adam West.



ScreenRant