“Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast” Premieres June 11th
With a Coast-to-Coast Journey to Protect Bigfoot and the Skunk Ape
Orlando, FL (June 5, 2019) – Adventurer, collector, and father of the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! cartoon, Robert Ripley traveled the world documenting the hard-to-believe oddities for which the public had an insatiable appetite. Now, 100 years after the legacy began, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is continuing the quest for strange-but-true tales, launching a new weekly podcast featuring interviews with odd-thorities from around the globe.
The interview format program, officially named Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast, features hosts Ryan Clark and Brent Donaldson, who travel the world interviewing experts, celebrities, and authorities on topics ranging from curious and odd to truly weird and out of this world.
“While searching for artifacts to exhibit in our Believe It or Not! odditoriums and stories to tell in Ripley books and online, out editors meet unbelievable experts with unique perspectives we are dying to tell,” said Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Creative Content Manager, Sabrina Sieck. “The Believe It or Notcast is now home to those first-person interviews and peculiar tales that are incredibly hard to believe, but undeniably true!”
Every Tuesday hosts will indulge listeners in everything they never knew they needed to know. Like, how did conjoined twins Chang and Eng father 21 children? Are excorsisms like the movies? And just what should you do if you capture Bigfoot?
Episode one launches June 11th with a coast-to-coast exploration of cryptids—mythological creatures that are believed to exist by some, but have not been recognized by the scientific community. Whether listeners believe in them or not, there are laws in place right now to protect cryptids. Hosts Clark and Donaldson dive into the depths of the Florida Everglades, home of Dave Shealy, a man who has dedicated his life to bringing awareness to the existence of the elusive Skunk Ape. Next, the Notcast travels out west to Skamania County, Washington, where biodiversity and seclusion make it the ideal home for Bigfoot, and commissioners like Bob Hamlin have created laws to protect these creatures from being hunted.
“We try to give an homage to the past in every episode, but this is a podcast that’s going to appeal to a lot of new listeners, too, not just folks who know about Ripley and his tales.” said host Ryan Clark.
Future guests include Lonely Planet editor Ben Bucker, who takes listeners to the world’s most off-limits places; horror legend and host of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! on Travel Channel, Bruce Campbell, divulges what has drawn him to the dark side of strange; and Father Vincent Lampert, who has performed six official exorcisms and lends expertise on everything the movies have gotten twisted.
“Strap in, we are taking listeners on a real ride,” adds Clark. “These stories will leave you captivated, maybe even confounded. And the best part? They’re all true. Believe them or not.”
Preview the Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast at: Ripleys.com
Available for download at Anchor, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and iTunes.
Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast Hosts
Brent Donaldson is a career magazine journalist whose features have covered true crime, cage fighting, the arts, politics, higher education, and the tech industry. Brent lives with his wife and two sons in Cincinnati, Ohio—scarring them daily with stories from Ripleys.com. Believe It or Not! Brent was the last journalist ever to interview Evel Knievel!
Ryan Clark has hunted for ghosts in Civil War mansions, made bets at the Kentucky Derby with Gilbert Gottfried, chased hurricanes in Mississippi, and has driven a good portion of Route 66 to get to the International UFO Festival in Roswell, New Mexico. The point? He loves finding—and telling—unbelievable stories. Now, Ryan’s doing it for Ripley’s Believe It or Not! A journalist by trade, he has published books and articles on a variety of topics and currently teaches at Xavier University. Ryan’s always looking for the next adventure, but when the party’s over, he’s ready to come home to his wife, two children, and two cats.
Host Portraits by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! cartoonist John Graziano:
Media Contacts
Suzanne Smagala-Potts
Public Relations Manager
Ripley Entertainment Inc.
smagala@ripleys.com
Office: 407-345-8010 Cell: 727-439-0136
About Ripley Entertainment
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is part of the Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com) family of worldwide attractions, the global leader in location-based entertainment. More than 14 million people visit its 100-plus attractions in 10 countries each year. In addition to its 30 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books, and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in countries around the world. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the second-largest privately held company in Canada.
