That Time Adam West, TV's 'Batman', Also Advocated For Videogames

Adam West, star of the 1960s TV series Batman, has died at age 88. An anonymous reader shares a memory of that time the 53-year-old actor wrote an op-ed for a 1982 issue of Videogame and Computer Gaming Illustrated. "I've been playing with computers longer than most," West wrote on page 6. [PDF] "I had onboard computers in Robinson Crusoe on Mars, having learned in an episode of TV's The Outer Limits that you can't survive on the Red Planet without them. Then, of course, I was up to my cowl in computers as television's Batman... In 1966, when the series began its three season run, all of that was science fiction. Computers were playthings of the researchers at MIT... Today, a lot of the apparatus we had in Batman -- dressed, of course, in less imposing names -- is fact. And we're lucky this is so."

West called videogames "an ideal means to broaden the imaginations of young people," saying the medium "can expand our awareness of the world as it is, was, or might be. The medium is still in its infancy, but read this again in a few years and see if this prediction hasn't come true: as videogaming grows, we will grow."
My favorite story is how West was cast as Batman after the show's producer spotted his performance as super-spy Agent Q in a commercial for Nestle Quik. And CNN also remembers that "later in life, West made appearances on the animated series 'Family Guy' as Mayor Adam West, the oddball leader of Quahog, Rhode Island."

Re:Simple question

[ToTheStars]

Adam West is best known for starring in the lead role of a TV adaptation of a comic book. His death is obviously news for nerds (and I'm sorry to hear he's gone). That he wrote an op-ed for a 1982 computer gaming magazine is even nerdier -- comics, computers, the '80's, that's like triple nerddom crossover.

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[93 Escort Wagon]

Adam West is best known for starring in the lead role of a TV adaptation of a comic book.

For those who don't know, the parent is obviously referring to his recurring role as "Catman" on The Fairly Oddparents.

Farewell, Adam West. I enjoyed your work - and the fact that you had absolutely no trouble making fun of your own career.

Re:

[Creepy]

Video games were popular in 1982, like incredibly popular, as in a multi-billion dollar industry. The 2600 was still around, but showing its age. Mattel's Intellivision was starting to chip at its market share and ColecoVision came out that year. Computer gaming was taking off as well. Then 1983 happened [wikipedia.org]. The video game industry went from $3+ billion (almost 8 billion adjusted for inflation) to $100 million industry over the next two years. Video gaming was declared a dead fad in the United States and virtu

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[tlhIngan]

Video games were popular in 1982, like incredibly popular, as in a multi-billion dollar industry. The 2600 was still around, but showing its age. Mattel's Intellivision was starting to chip at its market share and ColecoVision came out that year. Computer gaming was taking off as well. Then 1983 happened. The video game industry went from $3+ billion (almost 8 billion adjusted for inflation) to $100 million industry over the next two years. Video gaming was declared a dead fad in the United States and virtu

Re: Simple question

[Anonymous Coward]

Slashdot got rid of that "news for nerds, stuff that matters" catchline a long time ago. It is now unofficially "whatever gets people to click articles".

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:

[hey!]

A question you might ask yourself...

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[Bahamut_Omega]

A twenty one gun salute for a damned fine bat.

Some of us who were born after the initial run can still find the "West"ern Bat was still the superior species of Bat.

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[Anonymous Coward]

Until "Batman", West was known primarily as a Dramatic Actor. If you have never seen "Robinson Crusoe On Mars", check it out. For a very small budget, it was an extremely well-done film; much better than the title might suggest.
West's portrayal of Batman as the only member of the Cast who was not let in on the Joke- This isn't a Comic Book Series like all of the others, this was a parody of them. But West played it straight, and that was what made it work. He found the Humor off-set. There was one P

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[RDW]

If anyone doubts Adam West was the greatest, here is the definitive analysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

Re: RIP Adam west!

[ed1park]

Don't forget the great Batusi! Even had Travolta and Uma doing it in Pulp Fiction. Ha!

https://youtu.be/RsYA8Gr5NTY [youtu.be]

RIP

Some days, you just can't get rid of a bomb!

[SpankiMonki]

RIP Adam West

The bomb finally went off :(

[jensend]

Holy heart failure! [youtube.com]

51 year time bomb.

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[R3d M3rcury]

Too soon. :^(

A man who enjoys his taffy

[jfdavis668]

I'm so glad he found more recent fame as Mayor Adam West on Family Guy. I'll miss his humor.

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[Anonymous Coward]

(*No, that's not a cremation joke).

Is it a Cannibalism joke?

Fun fact, the cast of Batman and Gilligan's Island competed on an episode of Family Feud [youtube.com].

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[aussie_a]

Pretty sure he referenced being batman in one of his ramblings "I use to be batman you know" or "What I wouldnt' do to have a good old batarang".

Damn.....

[MerlTurkin]

I met him years ago, what a really nice man! Very personable too. RIP Adam.....

Farewell, Adam West

[DontBeAMoran]

Mayor Adam West was not available for comment.

Starring Adam West

[antdude]

RIP! I just saw http://starringadamwest.com/ [starringadamwest.com] last month. It was good. Check it out if you haven't seen it.