Adam West

Here it is - the first official MAD cover tie-in to a TV series, and still one of the most beloved covers in the magazine's history. Norman Mingo captured Adam West experiencing a little Bat-nausea at the sight of Robin E. Neuman, for the cover of MAD #105 (September '66). One of my favourite Mort Drucker illustrations of Adam West as Batman from the Lou Silverstone-penned six-pager "Bats-Man," which originally ran in MAD #105 (September '66).

Rick Tulka skillfully captured Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin for one of my favourite early-'90s MAD articles, "Villains Awaiting Batman's Return To TV." Featuring Jackie Mason as "The Caterer," Boy George as "Cross-Dresser," Bob Guccione as "Sleazebag" and Joe Piscopo as "The Irritant," it was co-written by Charlie Kadau and Joe Raiola and originally ran in MAD #298 (October '90).

Adam West finally gets his revenge in the final panel of "Batsman: The Anemic Series," illustrated by Sam Viviano and written by Dick DeBartolo for MAD #322 (October '93). The five-page take-down of the early '90s Warner Animation effort Batman: The Animated Series was one of MAD's few full-page satires of a TV cartoon, despite the explosion of animated shows (particularly on prime-time TV) in the '90s.

Recruited by Seth MacFarlane to play an off-kilter version of himself as Mayor of Quahog, Rhode Island in the initial run of Family Guy, Adam West's voiceover approach proved impossible to resist and he has remained with the series since his 1999 debut. While the series has deliberately avoided any Batman references, Tom Richmond caricatured West in a ratty Bat-suit for this cameo in "MAD's Exclusive Backstage Tour of Family Guy." Written by the mysterious David Richards, the snappy three-pag