Adam West, whose real name is William West Anderson, will be honored in Los Angeles with the lighting of a real-life bat signal this week. West died last Friday, June 9, after a “short but brave” battle with leukemia. The actor was 88 years old when he passed away.

Lighting up the sky

The ceremonial lighting of a real bat signal from City Hall will project the cape crusader’s iconic symbol into the night sky at 9:00 p.m. local time. In the comic books and movies, the bat signal is the way the city calls on the Batman whenever it needs his help. It is only fitting that the symbol is projected into the skyline to commemorate the passing of one of the actors that had originally played the iconic role.

The event itself will be attended by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Police Cheif Charlie Beck. Several members of West's family are also expected to attend the event.

Role as the Batman

Most fans probably don’t realize that West was only the third actor to play the iconic dark knight on television and in movies. The first actor to play the role was Lewis G. Wilson in 1943. He was then followed by Robert Lowery in 1949’s “Batman and Robin.”

Despite being the third actor to play the role, the superhero was really only made popular in pop culture due to West’s portrayal of the superhero in the 1960’s television series.

West also logged in the most time as the caped crusader after having spent more than two decades as the billionaire Bruce Wayne in both the television series and in a 1966 live action film. West was reportedly cast as the billionaire superhero after producer William Dozier noticed him playing a Bond-like character in a Nestle Quik TV commercial.

Other works and contributions

Following West’s career as the Batman in television, the actor had appeared in various other projects. The actor was mostly involved in animated television shows, where he played satirical versions of himself. This includes appearances in “The Fairly Odd Parents” in 2001, “The Simpsons” in 1992 up to 2002, and on “Family Guy” from 2000 until his death this year.

“Family Guy” will also be honoring West this weekend with a special episode. The actor played the role of Mayor West in the show, where he appeared in more than 100 episodes. Other networks and shows will also be honoring West in the coming days. Fox has announced that it will be airing episodes of “The Dating Game,” which featured West winning an auction.
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