I have the most vivid memories of Holy Hubert, the Bubble Lady and the Orange Man.

I love this article....(and it'll remind you who the top nominees are)

http://www.thebolditalic.com/articles/3039-berkeley-s-most-lovable-weirdos

Interesting article but I don't remember the characters in the article. Maybe the Hate Man--I seem to recall a guy in a dress but that is not so unusual in Berkeley. Obviously I heard about the Naked Guy from news reports and also read about his death. I spent most of my time in Berkeley from 1975 to 1980--undergrad and grad school. Been visiting a lot in the past 4 years since my daughter has been there. The guys in that article must have showed up during the intervening years.

Naked Guy (R.I.P.) attended classes when I was at Cal. My most vivid memories involved Hate Man, Rick Starr and the Pig Lady (she walked her huge Pig across campus constantly yelling all sorts insults at it)

Triangle Man. I wonder whatever happened to that guy...

Rick Starr. I had to laugh when he lost his amplified speaker (rumor was the admin took it away from him; I think it more likely it was stolen/lost). He was still singing with a mic, but it wasn't plugged into anything. Brilliant.

I've lived in bum meccas ever since leaving the westside, everywhere I've moved. Crazies everywhere, sometimes alone sometimes in camps. It's never bothered me, but I can't say I've had any memorable experiences with any of them.

OSKIesq;842497523 said:

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Triangle Man. I wonder whatever happened to that guy...

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Haha. He's probably still working out at the RSF in his velvet shirt...

Happy Happy Happy

OSKIesq;842497523 said:

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Triangle Man. I wonder whatever happened to that guy...

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Hong Kong Superstar! He and Rick Starr were personal favorites.

I always liked Yoshua.

Hate Man
Rick Starr
Pink Man
Larry the drummer
Thoth
Paul the Pillar

Rick Starr and his Mr. Microphone audio set-up was pretty sweet.

Also remember Polka Dot Man.

Ran into Stoney Burke rambling through Chateau coop checking rooms/chasing someone in the middle of the night. Opened a door and Stoney was in a deep political/philosophical discussion with someone else when we busted in. They looked up to see what was up, then went back to talking. It was a like a Kafka comedy.

Hey so do people still do shows on Sproul and near Sather Gate during prime time lunch rush? That was always kind of cool.

I was here in the late sixties and early seventies, and I don't recall any "crazies".


In fact, I don't remember anyone.

When I went to Boalt in the early 80s we had polka dot dude, the hate man, the bubble lady etc. I recall when I was a kid growing up in Berkeley in the 60s there was the Crunchy Munchy Man--name was something like Alfred Gatner or Datner or something... any of you remember him?

Edited to add that I found the name: Alfred Dattner http://kn-cal.com/news/trivia-quiz/

We graduated in 1968 and of course there was Mario, not sure that he qualifies, the most memorable for me is when I go back to campus, I think many of the street people who were there when I was in school are still there on the streets. Kinda sad to think about.

For my time it was polka dot man, rawr, bubble lady, the meditation guy " do you believe in meditation?" , Rick Starr. I saw rawr hang horizontal off a bus stop post on Shattuck one evening, very strong.

Burke in Sproul. Polka Dot Man around campus. Orange Man everywhere, even in Elmwood.

cubzwin;842497481 said:

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I have the most vivid memories of Holy Hubert, the Bubble Lady and the Orange Man.

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That was my era too, 1972-1976, they were all around. Also that Moon Man who sold shares of the moon. The Unification Church (Moonies) were also recruiting students to go to Boonville for programming.





http://holyhubert.net/hubert-pics.html

Bubble Lady in her prime:

The tale of Orange Man: http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_2848773

Moon Man: http://alumni.berkeley.edu/california-magazine/november-december-2007-new-media/moon-man-returns

And to think, without the internet, we would never have been able to do this.

All the above, plus the "Moon Man"? (at least that's what we called him) He would sell you an acre on the moon, I think it was $1, and gave you a paper "deed" in return.
"And you can see that I am not a greedy man, 'cause if I were, I would keep it all for myself - but I will generously sell you a piece of it'"

Just saw the bearister beat me to the Moon Man!

Bearister, thanks for the article on the Moon Man - had no idea he had reappeared a few years ago!

goldenokiebear;842497601 said:

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Bearister, thanks for the article on the Moon Man - had no idea he had reappeared a few years ago!

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The link I found on Orange Man was interesting. I always thought he fried his mind on acid--which I suppose could have induced his mental state. He always had clean clothes, so someone had his back. I see he is a year older than me. In my college days he looked exactly like Chris Hillman (Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, and Manassas-pictured below):

Does the Communist Youth Brigade count?

Holy Hubert would be my original, Hate man the quintessential, and Polka Dot man the most artificial. While I was on campus, from 75-76 and 78-84 and saw a lot of those folks, did anyone actually see Ludwig the Campus canine?

Great thread.

I enjoyed Ludwig and his expressed territoriality.

Ed Meese was real "peach". I'd rank him just below Hubert for his messages to the student population. BTW--What year did the administration dedicate the "Meese Memorial Fountain"?

Years later Pink Man covered a lot of ground riding his unicycle in the greater campus area. It might have been Meese.

cubzwin;842497481 said:

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OT: Who were the most memorable street crazies when you went to Cal?

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oskiwanabe;842497613 said:

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Does the Communist Youth Brigade count?

Holy Hubert would be my original, Hate man the quintessential, and Polka Dot man the most artificial. While I was on campus, from 75-76 and 78-84 and saw a lot of those folks, did anyone actually see Ludwig the Campus canine?

Great thread.

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Spartacus Youth League? Yeah those guys were a barrel of laughs but many were fine. I knew a few.

He was not a street crazie but still memorable after all the years. When I was a kid, my parents took me to the dining commons for dinner. Someone sat down across from me after I had started eating. When I looked up, I was totally shocked to see that the man had no face to speak of. I heard later that he had suffered horrific burns in a chemistry lab explosion and was employed by the university but don't know for sure. I was too young to react other than with fear. Does anyone know whom I am referring to? I wish now that I could have reacted with more sensitivity and kindness.

okaydo;842497624 said:

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Triangle Man and the Happy Man protestor "Bush! 666!! Happy! Happy Happy!"

Yes, and he still lives in north Berkeley.

bearister;842497655 said:

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I haven't left that tree after almost forty years.

calbear289;842497533 said:

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Haha. He's probably still working out at the RSF in his velvet shirt...

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I swear he'd just walk in, do one set of one armed butterfly (one arm only) and then walk out, like an asian weightlifting tornado

tenplay;842497651 said:

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Does anyone know whom I am referring to? I wish now that I could have reacted with more sensitivity and kindness.

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Yes, and I feel similarly.

cubzwin;842497481 said:

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I have the most vivid memories of Holy Hubert, the Bubble Lady and the Orange Man.

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Yea, HH, Bubble Lady, Moonman was my era too.

How about the guy who did crazy performance art-like stuff all over Sproul. I remember the name "William". We never knew what he'd do next, and my favorite was seeing his feet and a flag sticking out of one of the giant urns one day. We put up pictures of his antics.

Pink Cloud??? Anybody? He hung out at Barrington. Not sure he's the same as the "Pink Man". I seem to remember a unicycle, however.

SadbutTrue999;842497670 said:

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I swear he'd just walk in, do one set of one armed butterfly (one arm only) and then walk out, like an asian weightlifting tornado

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As a former employee of the RSF, I had a few run-ins with the triangle man. He always misused the equipment, and would tell people to get out of his way if they were using a weight that he wanted. He also used to sport some sweet fake oakleys while he worked out.

Anyone remember Stoney? That guy was a totally ass.