Adam West, TV's Batman, Dead at 88

West, whose career spanned six decades, was at the peak of pop culture in January 1966, when "Batman" debuted on small screens across America. He later struggled to find big acting roles due to his typecast, but all that changed when he joined the cast of "Family Guy" in 2002 as the voice of Quahog's mayor, Adam West.

Series creator Seth MacFarlane paid tribute to the late star Saturday morning in a tweet (below), writing that West's "positivity, good nature and sense of fun were undeniable."

Burt Ward, who played Robin in the original series, told People in a statement: "Adam and I had a special friendship for more than 50 years. We shared some of the most fun times of our lives together; our families have deep love and respect for each other. This is a terribly unexpected loss of my lifelong friend, I will forever miss him."

"There are several fine actors who have portrayed Batman in films," the 71 year old continued. "In my eyes, there was only one real Batman, and that is and always will be Adam West. He was truly the Bright Knight."

Julie Newmar, who played Catwoman, shared similar sentiments.

"Stellar, exemplar, a king to the end," the 83 year old told People in a statement. "He was bright, witty and fun to work with. I will miss him in the physical world and savor him always in the world of imagination and creativity. He meant so much to people. A friend said: 'The father that we wanted.' That is a great gift no matter how you live it."

West died peacefully in Los Angeles surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife Marcelle, their six children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.