Anthony Letizia

Anthony Letizia has been many things through the years, including an accountant, journalist, and playwright. From June 2014 to May 2019, he served on the board – as well as treasurer – of the ToonSeum, a nonprofit museum of the cartoon and comic arts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While there, Letizia curated two exhibits, “To Boldly Go: The Graphic Art of Star Trek” (October 2016 to January 2017) and “Popology: An Exhibit of Pop Culture and Comics” (September 2017 to November 2017), as well as co-curated “Wonder Woman: Visions” (November 2017 to February 2018).

After a decades-long hiatus, Anthony Letizia completed his M.A. in History at Duquesne University in December 2024. He has used his history background to make a number of presentations in recent years on the ways that popular culture intersects with the real world. The list includes: “Superheroes Battle Pollution on the First Earth Day” poster presentation as part of the Comics Arts Conference at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024; “DC Comics and August 1986” at the Popular Culture Association Conference in Chicago in March 2024; and “Green Arrow as Social Justice Warrior” as part of the Comics Arts Conference at WonderCon in Anaheim in March 2023. He also organized/moderated a panel at the Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle in August 2022 entitled “A Green Arrow History of Seattle” and made a brief “Marvel Comics History of the 1960s” presentation at the virtual Popular Culture Association conference in April 2022.

Although still an accountant by day, at night Anthony Letizia is a strong proponent and true believer in the power of Geek Culture. He can be reached at anthony@geekfrontiers.com.

 

To Boldly Go: The Graphic Art of Star Trek

An October 2016 exhibit at the ToonSeum in Pittsburgh celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the iconic sci-fi franchise with original comic art and a spotlighted its connection to the Steel City.

Pittsburgh and World War II: We Can Do It!

A 2015 exhibit at the Senator John Heinz History Center paid homage to the city’s manufacturing role during World War II, as well as the men and women who contributed to the war effort.

Bertha Lamme: Pioneering Westinghouse Engineer

The first American woman to earn a degree in mechanical engineering was briefly employed at Westinghouse at the end of the nineteenth century and is spotlighted at the Heinz History Center.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Lectures on Spiritualism

The creator of Sherlock Holmes visited Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Music Hall in April 1923 as part of a North American lecture tour that focused on his belief in séances and the spirit world.

The Secret Star Wars Cantina of London

Secret Cinema coupled its summer 2015 screenings of The Empire Strikes Back in London, England, with interactive reconstructions of Mos Eisley and the Death Star from Star Wars.

The Legends of Glastonbury

King Arthur and Joseph of Arimathea have direct ties to the small English town of Glastonbury, which is thought to be the Isle of Avalon and the final resting place of Arthur and the Holy Grail.

The Beatles and Liverpool

The famous rock group retains a prominent presence within their hometown, with tours, statues, bars, restaurants, and The Beatles Story museum all catering to the many fans who visit the city.

Cloudy with a Chance of Pickles

The follow-up to Judi Barrett’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs follows the city of Chewandswallow as it ships its excess food around the world, including pickles to Pittsburgh.

Out of This World! Jewelry in the Space Age

A 2015 exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh contained a collection of jewelry that paid homage to the humanity’s fascination with the stars and spanned centuries.

Jack Kerouac and the Pittsburgh Plymouths

Many cross-country travelers have passed through Pittsburgh, including Beat writer Jack Kerouac, who featured the city in a fantasy baseball league in which he served as team manager.

Bill Cardille and Chiller Theater

The late-night horror movie showcase was a Saturday night staple in the Steel City for twenty years, airing from 1963 until 1983, thanks in no small part to host Bill “Chilly Billy” Cardille.

The Three Little Pigsburghers

In 2014, Pittsburgh cartoonist Joe Wos created a unique interpretation of the classic Three Little Pigs fairy tale, written in Pittsburghese and filled with numerous references to the Steel City.