It's a sad to say, the last of my earliest childhood heroes has taken his final bow, preceded in death by my other go-to heroes, Barnabus Collins (Jonathan Frid) and Captain Kangaroo(Bob Keeshan). West succumbed to leukemia at the age of 88, surrounded by his loving family.
West's portrayal of Batman on television from 1966-1968 lured a legion of fans into the world of comic books, myself being one of them. Batman is still one of the most popular and iconic comic book characters today.
In more recent years, West appeared in the highly acclaimed animated comedy, The Family Guy, brilliantly playing himself as the mayor of Quahog.