Adam West, whose straight-faced portrayal of Batman in a campy 1960s TV series lifted the tight-clad Caped Crusader into the national consciousness, has died at age 88, his publicist Molly Schoneveld said Saturday.
West died Friday night after "a short but brave battle with leukemia," his family said in a statement.
West played the superhero straight for kids and funny for adults. He initially chaffed at being typecast after "Batman" went off the air after three seasons, but in later years he admitted he was pleased to have had a role in kicking off a big-budget film franchise by showing the character's wide appeal.
Many actors have since portrayed the Caped Crusader -- most recently Ben Affleck, who called West "kind, funny, and an all-around great guy."
A whole new generation of fans knew West as the voice of nutty Mayor Adam West on the long-running animated series "Family Guy."