Tramp Island Part One – They Lived Too long

People often ask me; why am I a tramp?
And I say; a tramp to me is the best kind of man, a man who is both seen and unseen. A tramp will fight each day to stay alive on the knife edge of life.
But this is astruggle seen and heard by no-one except others like himself; others
marooned on Tramp Island.
You don't need to be a down-and-out to have a home on Tramp Island.
You can have money and you can have friends.
You can hobo your way through life along a path of seeming success
which can lead you to heaven or hell. And to Tramp Island.
Tramp Island is my hyperspace home where I welcome the lost from every
walk of life.
Squeeze my five grubby fingers and let us walk together
along the litter strewn paths.
This is Plato's true Republic – the home of all who live one day too long, and see their triumphs decay.
Listen! From the home of acting tramp hero Oliver Reed we can hear the
music of Vivian Stansthall play.
Stanshall was the finest example of a great British tramp dandy.
He was known to wear Billy Bunter check trousers, a Victorian frock coat and carry a euphonium.
He also wore pink rubber ears.
He formed the "Bonzo Dog Freaks".
The un-Tramped will know him as the voice of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells".
But success for Viv was dogged by long spells on Tramp Island, shaking
with panic attacks and sitting out his alcoholic reveries.
Stanshall loved to perform pranks.
He went into a tailor's shop to buy a pair of trousers.
His friend, tramp generalissimo Keith Moon came in, lusting for the same wild sixties strides.
Stanshall fought for them with Moon, pulling them in two so they ended up with one leg each.
A one-legged actor was hired by Stanshall and Moon to wear the trousers
and say "Ah! Just what I was looking for."
Old Viv was found dead on the 6th March 1995 at his Muswell Hill, London flat. Stanshall often smoked and drank in bed and set fire to his ginger beard on more than
one occasion.
However, the coroner found that the fire was caused by faulty wiring near his bed.
A tramp right to the end, a life marred by
genius and madness, that rose by his own creativity and fell into
decline.
A happy hero on Tramp Island.
But let us step on now; past the Reed Mansion is a deep, dark cave.
A strange, hermit like tramp of an artist called Steve Ditko is found
here.
Ditko worked on Amazing Spider-Man, Dr. Strange and others with
Stan Lee.
In the sixties, Ditko was to adopt the philosophies of arch
antitramp Ayn Rand.
Stressing personal improvement and self betterment, these were to have the opposite effect on Ditko, due to his innate tramp nature.
The Rand school of Objectivisim could be thought of as conservative and restrictive; concerning itself with absolutes such as good and evil. Accordingly the Tramp Artist sees only black and white, with little or no gray areas between.
Steve and Stan fell out as Ditko and his work became less and less flexible, and
the tramp artist left Marvel for obscurity.
Subsequently the character of Spider-Man which he had designed and plotted was made into a hit cartoon series, a series of very profitable films and has since gone
on to make millions – billions – for Success God Stan.
Ditko's Tramp Island cave opens in the New York City of our world.
He refuses to give interviews or make public appearances, instead he inks
tract like pamphlets all day, supported by a charitable foundation of
well wishers.
I went to visit him, as I eventually visit all Tramp Islanders.
I knocked and listened as he made his way towards me and opened his giant steel warehouse door.
Ditko examined me through his huge glasses, but refused to sign my copies of his rare tracts featuring Randian right wing vigilante "Mr. A".
Ditko shouted at me and slammed the door in my face.
Like most on Tramp Island Ditko has chosen to forego the money and success he deserves to live the tramp existence of solitude and misery.
Mr. Ditko we salute you!!! Tramps everywhere; we salute you!!!