Since 1918, Ripley’s has been presenting the incredible and the unusual through a daily cartoon. To this day, the cartoon started by Robert Ripley himself continues uninterrupted as the world’s longest-running syndicated cartoon and the origin of the Believe It or Not! brand.
But one of Robert Ripley’s most famous cartoons didn’t just entertain readers… It helped change American history!
A Cartoon That Shocked the Nation
On November 3, 1929, just a week after the stock market crash, Ripley made a bold statement in his first Sunday panel for Randolph Hearst: “America Has No National Anthem.” Ripley correctly asserted that “The Star-Spangled Banner” was nothing more than an unofficial anthem, with the melody lifted from an old English drinking song.
But it took a little more than a year for Congress to pass a one-sentence bill, and on March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed into law “The Star-Spangled Banner” as America’s national anthem, all thanks to Mr. Ripley.
The Missing Original Sketch
While the cartoon itself became historic, something curious happened.
The original Robert Ripley sketch of the Star-Spangled Banner cartoon disappeared. Somewhere out there, Robert Ripley’s original hand-drawn artwork may still exist in a private collection, archive, or even grandma’s attic. Now, Ripley’s is launching a worldwide search to find this historic piece!
This is Where You Come In…
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is launching a worldwide search for the cartoon that helped change American history!
A reward will be offered for credible information that leads to the acquisition of the missing cartoon. Finding the original Star-Spangled Banner cartoon panel would bring home a true piece of American history, a drawing that helped inspire the official recognition of the nation’s anthem.
Details:
If you have information that could lead to the discovery or purchase of the original artwork, we want to hear from you.
Have information about the location of the original Robert Ripley Star-Spangled Banner cartoon? Click here!
Your tip could help recover a historic piece of American pop culture and earn you an unforgettable reward!