Ripley Radio

It’s mid-summer and Ripley Radio, the official broadcast station of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, is taking you on a road trip to a couple unusual destinations this week. Chad Lewis is joining us to report on an underwater music festival and a Mothman fest. Dan Harmon, author of Super Pop, a book of Top 10 pop culture hits, will stop by and tell us why his new book will make its readers smarter, happier and more likely to survive a shark attack. Additional Weird, Crazy, Bizarre and Strange Stories on the July 15 Episode of Ripley Radio includes: Jodi Pliszka tells us about a weird medical malady that caused fingernails to grow out of a young woman’s pores over her entire body; National Geographic writer Jennifer Holland , author of Unlikely Friends, tells us about strange animal friendships; Dale Palzet, principal of an Illinois middle school reveals his school has a new Guinness World Record in the making - 24 sets of twins enrolled!; TV personality and comedian Mitch English is back with more zany, but true stories; and we hear about a Museum of Broken Relationships. For our musical egress this week, the Zombies salute summer with their bluesy rendition of Summertime.

Our month-long series of weird animal stories starts this month on Ripley Radio with the story of how a veterinarian saved the life of seven baby squirrels whose tails had been fused together and our U.S. National Park expert Mike Oswald returns to tell us some strange and unbelievable stories about the animals that live in our parks. Additional Weird, Strange, and Unbelievable Stories in the July 8 Edition of Ripley Radio, the official broadcast station of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, include: Jodi Pliszka, Ripley’s own guru of weird medical maladies reports on some of the most unbelievable body-part re-attachments in medical history; Kirk Demarais, author of Mail Order Mysteries, explains the items that he highlights in his book -the small items once available for order from the back of cereal boxes and comic books; Mitch English, TV personality and comedian joins us in the studios for some fun and frolic; and sideshow and carnival fan extraordinaire Wayne Keyser joins us to talk about his radio show, Ballycast. John Fogerty provides the musical egress this week with his 1970 hit, Lookin’ Out My Backdoor.

It truly is a scary thought. Believe It or Not!, the woman who became notoriously known as the Tanning Mom is now an action figure! A toy and doll company in Connecticut is now selling the figure for $29.95. And what’s more, the company president tells Ralf, that his company can customize an action figure that looks like you! Tune in to this week’s Ripley Radio Oddcast for this truly bizarre story. Power to the People! is more than an anthem. Floor tiles are being installed In London, in time for the Olympics that can generate electricity when people step on them! Angela reports on this unbelievable new and efficient way to create energy! Additional Weird, Bizarre, Unusual and Unbelievable Stories Featured on the July 1 episode of Ripley Radio, the official broadcast program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!: The Flea Circus was a big draw in Dime Museums and on carnivals for years and yes, they really used fleas as tiny little actors. Sideshow historian James Taylor explains the show and tells us briefly how to train a flea; Intern Abby reports that tens of millions of people still live in caves in China. The hillside holes can be rented or purchased and many are equipped with modern amenities; Our Weird Medical Malady of the Week is Kleptomania. Jodi Pliszka explains that it’s not all about stealing; A company is now selling salt “harvested” from people’s tears of joy, anger, sorrow and from cutting onions; and Ripley’s archivist Edward Meyer tells us that one of Ripley’s newest acquisitions is the full size “Bad to the Bone” motorcycle, made from the bones of road kill! In honor of the July 4 weekend, Katy Perry provides the musical egress this week with Firework.

Picture this. A giant bat-like creature, with glowing eyes comes out of a cave and terrorizes an Iowa town by night. It has a foul breath that seems to erase memory. Gun shots won’t stop it. Is it real or mythical? Tune in, Chad Lewis has the story of the Van Meter Visitor on the June 24 edition of Ripley Radio, the official broadcast partner of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Other intriguing, weird, bizarre and absolutely unbelievable things we discuss this week: Jodi Pliszka, Ripley’s Weird Medical Maladies ingénue reports on severe accidents in which severed body parts were re-attached successfully; A motorcycle crashes into the back of a truck and is demolished, broken into several pieces. There is no way a person could walk away from it. But the police could not find the motorcycle driver anywhere. We hear about the mystery this week; and author Jim Murphy wraps up a four-week series on hoaxes, as told from his new book, The Giant and How He Humbugged America. This week’s timely musical egress is a true auditory artifact from 1972. Alice Cooper sings his hit, School’s Out.

Believe It or Snot, we have a story this week about a person who just thought he had a runny nose, but that run-off proved a little more critical than the common every-day drippage. It was brain fluid! We also hear from Chad Lewis who reports on one of the oldest community festivals in the US – the Hobo Festival in Iowa. Additional, amazing, unbelievable and bizarre stories on the June 3 edition of Ripley Radio, the official radio station of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! include: Historian James Taylor explains how important it is for all successful shows to have bright, colorful and descriptive signage; Ripley’s official cartoonist John Graziano joins us again this week and describes his unusual drawing techniques; and noted author Jim Murphy joins us again and tells us more tales of the modern day hoaxes he writes about in his new book, The Giant and How He Humbugged America.

We take a look into the great American Hoax this week on Ripley Radio, the official radio broadcast of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Sideshow historian James Taylor talks about the great fakes of all times that were presented as real in museum and circus shows, Ripley archivist Edward Meyer takes a look at the fakes and labeled as such, in the Ripley collection and we continue our series with author Jim Murphy who reveals some of the more contemporary hoaxes contained in his book, The Giant and How He Humbugged America. More amazing, unbelievable and bizarre stories on the June 10 episode of Ripley Radio include: Chad Lewis uncovers a controversy in which the owners of four different balls of twine claim theirs is the largest; Tim O’Brien promotes World Juggling Day, set for this Saturday, June 15 at 14 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums in three countries; the weird and wacky UFO Phil comes down from space long enough to talk with Ralf about being appointed the president of the planet by friendly aliens; and Ripley artist John Graziano sits in and explains the process of how he comes up with enough unbelievable facts to fill the popular Ripley cartoon for 365 days a year! Our musical egress this week is the up tempo and highly danceable new song by Selena Gomez, Come and Get it!

What does the Cardiff Giant and the Feejee Mermaid have in common? They are both major deceptions that have fooled millions over the years. This week on Ripley Radio, we begin a four-part series on the art of the hoax as we interview Jim Murphy, author of the new book, The Giant and How He Humbugged America. We also hear from Chad Lewis about the curse of the Porsche in which movie star James died. Additional, amazing, unbelievable and bizarre stories on the June 3 edition of Ripley Radio, the official radio station of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! include: Princess Tarinan van Anhalt explains her specialty art work, created with the use of jet engines; the viral video of the bumbling would-be thief at Kent’s Meats and Groceries in Redding, Calif., has been turned into a successful TV commercial, which has also gone viral; Ripley archivist Edward Meyer talks about the well-known hoaxes and fakes that Ripley has collected for its archives; and official Ripley cartoonist John Graziano explains how anyone on this planet can get the daily Ripley’s Believe It or Not! cartoon delivered to their email box everyday – for free. American singer-songwriter Shannon Curfman provides this week’s musical egress with her bluesy rendition of The Weight.

Summer 2013 traditionally and officially begins at the grand conclusion of Coney Island’s Infamous Mermaid Parade, set to bedazzle the crowds on June 22 this year. Coney Island expert James Taylor drops by and tells us that the R-rated parade is the best thing outside of Mardis Gras and should not be missed. Jodi Pliszka explains how the once favored medical procedures using leeches are once again being used – to great success. Additional, amazing, unbelievable and bizarre stories on the May 27, Memorial Day edition of Ripley Radio, the official radio station of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! include: James Taylor provides a brief overview of what Coney Island has had to do to prepare for its 2013 Summer Season, after taking a hard hit from Superstorm Sandy last fall; Chad Lewis tells us how cool it is to sleep in a tee-pee at Wig Wam Village, those funky roadside motels created in the shape of tee-pees. He says there are only three of the original Wig Wam motels still in business; TV reporter Noah Bond reports on a Mormon Bishop who went to the defense of his neighbor who was being robbed. He charged the thief with a sharp sword, while yelling out martial arts screams. The intruder fled and the bishop is a hero; and country crooner Garth Brooks belts out a not-so-country version of Shameless, our musical egress this week.

This week on Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, we laugh along with Flathead Ed of Arizona as he tells us how he landed the largest catfish ever caught in that state, and Mark Ross explains the International tension that has built up around claims of The Smallest Park in the World title. He tells us hands down that Portland, Oregon holds that honor. More amazing, unbelievable and bizarre stories on the May 20 episode of Ripley Radio include: Author and adventurer Mike Oswald introduces us to General Sherman, the world’s largest organism; historian James Taylor describes the unbelievable beginnings of Brooklyn’s Coney Island and the fact that had there been no amusement parks on Coney Island, there would be no Manhattan as we know it today; and The Pretenders provide us with this week’s musical egress, Brass in Pocket.

We take a different view of Zombies this week as we look at the pop culture side of the walking dead. We hear from Tony Rossi, the manager of the Georgia Coffee Shop and Café in the Georgia town where the popular Walking Dead TV series is filmed and he relates how much fun it is when the walking dead visit his eatery. Lucy Leitner tells us why Pittsburgh, Pa. is the epicenter of the Zombie movement in the US. Additional Amazingly Strange, Weird and Unbelievable Stories we captured for the May 13 episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio partner of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! include: Chad Lewis explores the possibility that “real” zombies do actually exist, thanks to a Haitian process called zombification; Jodi Pliszka says the use of maggots is more common than one might believe in contemporary medical treatment; Zombie make-up artist Barry Anderson relates how funny it is to watch actors in full zombie makeup eat a sandwich during their meal break; and 1970s one-hit wonder Dean Friedman provides the musical egress this week with his catchy hit, Ariel.

Believe It or Not, during the 20th century, frozen whale carcasses were big draws on the circus and carnival midways! Historian James Taylor visits this week and talks about frozen whales, live whales and exploding whales. Mark Oswald wraps up his series on natural oddities and unbelievable sights at US National Parks, by telling us about the opportunity to walk right up to the crater of an active volcano. More amazing, unbelievable and bizarre stories on the May 6 episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! include: Ryan DeSear, manager of Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tenn., tells Ralf about the new Dinosaur exhibit that will be on display through the end of the year; Neal Thompson, the author of the new biography of Robert Ripley, “A Curious Man,” talks about his research and the amazing facts he uncovered about the curious man; and Stephen Stills provides the musical egress this week with Marianne.

Believe It or Not! there’s a perfume out there that makes you smell like a Zombie. What does a Zombie smell like? While hard to describe, Mark Crames, president of the company that manufactures it, explains why he created it and compares its smell to something that will make most of us cringe. Meanwhile, our intrepid reporter Chad Lewis tells of his search in Lake Pepin, Minn. for the famous monster named Pepie. Additional Amazingly Strange, Weird and Unbelievable Stories we captured for the April 29 episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio partner of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! include: Ralf talks with newspaper reporter Janelle Wetzstein who tells the tale of the Petaluma Batman, a mysterious real life superhero who lives (and is loved) in this small California town; National Park historian and chronicler Mark Oswald continues his series this week and takes us to Yellowstone, revealing the strange, natural wonders of this huge national park; Barry Anderson, the professor and founder of Ghoul School, explains the hands-on approach his students take while creating body parts; and country newcomer Kacey Musgraves weaves a poignant trailer park story in our musical egress this week, Merry-Go-Round.

We begin a series of reports this week on the unbelievable, unusual and strange aspects of our US National Parks. Author Mike Oswald kicks the series off by revealing the one park that is many things - below sea level, the hottest, driest AND largest, and is the only place where one can go to see rocks that move by themselves! Chad Lewis returns to talk about one of the wackiest of all summer festivals, the UFO Festival in New Mexico. It’s one of this road warrior’s favorites. Other Strange, Weird and Unbelievable Stories we captured for the April 22 episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio partner of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! include: Ralf “with an F” reports on a thief in Michigan who returned money he stole, plus interest – 30 years later; Mark Stevens of Topps Sports and Entertainment talks about the unveiling of the world’s largest baseball card in Florida; the Ghoul School’s Barry Anderson recalls the day he was nearly arrested for transporting what appeared to be a decapitated body; Actor J Larose explains the sometimes painful process of having prosthetics applied in makeup prior to a horror film shoot; and The Reason provides our musical egress this week with Drive Me Home.

Artist Steve Casino has chosen an unusual medium for his art – peanut shells – on which he paints the famous and the infamous. He tells us how he does it and why he began this strange endeavor and what his friends really think of it (and him). Sideshow historian James Taylor relates the triumphant but somewhat tragic story of the sexiest and most talented con-joined twins of all times – the Hilton Sisters. From their mother selling them upon their birth to their nanny to their financially successful life on the vaudeville stages to their retirement jobs as dual cashiers at a Florida grocery store, James weaves their engrossing story. Other Strange and Wonderfully Weird Stories We Captured for the April 15 Episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio partner of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, include: Teen Ivan Barber has surgery for appendicitis only 10 hours before he takes the stage and wins a battle of the bands contest; T. Thorn Coyle explains how we can all easily “make magic” in our everyday lives; Ghoul School professor Barry Anderson joins us again and explains how his grandmother predicted an airplane event that nearly took the life of his father; and horror film actor J Larose returns and tells us how cool it was to be a part of career day at his kid’s elementary school along with all the doctors and lawyers and insurance salesmen parents of the other kids.

Actor J. Larose, star of several popular horror films, joins us this week to talk about the genre and why it is so appealing to the public and world-renown FX artist Barry Anderson describes his new adventure – Ghoul School where he teaches the precise and often macabre art of horror makeup. Other Strange and Wonderfully Weird Stories We Captured for the April 8 Episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio partner of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, include: Tommy Edison, known as the Blind Movie Critic tells Ralf why he doesn’t have to have vision to judge a film; James Lowe explains how the US Post Office is going to help reduce its huge deficit – by selling apparel and accessories; We hear how a mayor of a small town was chosen by pulling his name out of a hat; In the Jackpottin’ With James Taylor segment, we learn how the world’s top expert on sideshows started in the business; and Eddie Vedder and his ukulele provide this week’s musical egress with Longing to Belong.