Lakeland resident George Lowe had a unique friendship with "Batman" star Adam West, who died on June 9 at the age of 88.
- Lowe a professional voice actor
- Interviewed West in character as "Space Ghost"
- Pair became friends after meeting at a comic convention
Lowe is a voice actor who famously played a parody version of Hanna-Barbera's sci-fi superhero Space Ghost for Cartoon Network's "Space Ghost: Coast to Coast." In the show, "Space Ghost" interviewed real people -- including West -- as the self-important host of a late-night talk show.
"He was one of our first guests," said Lowe. "He was totally on board with us just brutalizing him,” said Lowe.
Much of the episode was ad-libbed by Lowe and West. Space Ghost was rude to West, but West played right along.
Years after the episode with West ran on Cartoon Network, the two men met while making appearances at a comic book convention. Lowe ran into West while he was signing autographs.
Adam West (left) with George Lowe/Space Ghost. (Photo courtesy: George Lowe)
"I had never seen him stop signing and making money for anything, and God bless him, he puts the pen down,” said Lowe. Lowe said West grabbed his hand and kept shaking it as he talked.
West was excited to tell Lowe about the great reaction he had gotten after being on "Space Ghost Coast to Coast."
“'It was just such an odd ball thing and everyone loved it,'” Lowe recalled West telling him. “So after that we were just busting each other's chops forever,” said Lowe.
Lowe said West had a great sense of humor and they both played pranks on each other in public. For example, Lowe said he was in a comic convention parade in Atlanta riding in the same car with West. Throughout the ride Lowe roasted West to the crowd with the use of a bullhorn.
To learn more about George Lowe's career as a voice actor in radio and TV, visit lowecountry.com.