Ripper was a wildlife artist from Huntington. His detailed paintings appeared on nearly 100 magazine covers, 80 U.S. stamps, books, puzzles, and more.

Born in Pittsburgh, Chuck grew up with parents who loved art and nature. At 19, he had his first bird painting published in Nature magazine and soon illustrated a whole book. He served in the Army during the Korean War as a draftsman.

In 1953, Chuck moved to Huntington and worked as an art director but painted wildlife on nights and weekends. In 1964, he became a full-time artist, creating thousands of illustrations for field guides and conservation stamps.

His art has been shown in museums like the National Geographic Society and the Huntington Museum of Art. A trail in Huntington is named after him and features his work.