December marks the 100th anniversary of the day Ripley’s Believe It Or Not made its debut.
Creator Robert Ripley started a newspaper cartoon, which he helped build into a media juggernaut that includes books, TV shows and “odditoriums” around the world.
But the oddity empire seemingly has no plans to slip quietly into that weird night, based on the photos from its latest book, A Century of Strange.
As tradition dictates, the new book features freaky photos and bizarre facts about the strangest people, animals and other oddities in the world.
For instance, there’s the woman in Portland, Oregon, who got her snake caught in her earlobe, and the hospital in Portugal that keeps the pickled head of a serial killer on display.
A Century of Strange hits stores Aug. 24, but Ripley’s is giving HuffPost a preview of some of its more unbelievable photos.
Woman Very Attached To Her Snake
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
In January 2017, Ashley Glawe, of Portland, Oregon, got her pet snake caught in her gauged earlobe. The curious critter slithered through her stretched earlobe and promptly became stuck. Emergency room doctors had to numb her ear and then stretch it even more so Bart could wiggle free.
Giant Hairball
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
For two years, Steven Warden, a hair salon owner from Cambridge, Ohio, has been gluing hair from clients into a giant ball. The ball hit 96 pounds and keeps growing.
Serial Killer In A Jar
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
In 1841, Portugal executed its very first serial killer, Diogo Alves, who killed about 70 people in a three-year period. After Alves' execution, his head was preserved in a jar. It's currently on display at the University of Lisbon’s Faculty of Medicine.
Fruit Bat Stew
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Bats are considered a delicacy in various Asian and Pacific Rim countries, but gourmets in Palau, Micronesia, prefer to serve the furry little creatures whole in a steaming bowl of broth.
E.T. Honey Bun
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Danielle York of Manchester, New Hampshire, had a sweet encounter with internet fame in November 2016 when she found a Walmart honey bun that looked eerily like E.T. the extraterrestrial.
140-Pound Cyst
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Mary Clancey, of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, lost 180 pounds in one day after doctors removed a massive 140-pound cyst from her body and 40 pounds of excess skin.
Spaghetti Doughnut
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Pop Pasta, a Brooklyn-based restaurant, serves savory doughnuts made from spaghetti. Based on a traditional Neapolitan recipe called frittata di spaghetti, or spaghetti pie, you can get them in flavors ranging from red sauce to carbonara, zucchini and Bolognese.
3D Graffiti
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Portuguese artist Sergio Odeith paints optical illusions on different surfaces, including 90-degree corners.
Two-Headed Shark Fetus
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
In 2011, a two-headed bull shark fetus was discovered off the Florida Keys. The discovery was so rare that the conjoined bull shark later sold for $10,600 in an eBay auction.
Face-Hugging Bat Fly
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
While working on a biodiversity survey in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, entomologist and photographer Piotr Naskrecki discovered a fly that feeds on the blood of bats.
Mutant Dancer
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Los Angeles-based dancer Solto Esengulov morphs his body in ways that seem impossible. Some of his moves include flipping onto the top of his head, bulging his shoulder blades out of his back, and displacing his abdomen while seemingly moving his rib cage up and down.
Sun Artist
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Colorado artist Michael Papadakis uses mirrors and magnifying glasses as paintbrushes to burn drawings onto wooden canvases. This art form is called heliography, and the images he creates range from romantic scenes on fence posts to landscapes of city skylines.
