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.

 

The Lonesome Death of Jack Monroe

The life of the former masked crime fighter came to a tragic end in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the 2005 Captain America: Winter Soldier comic book series written by Ed Brubaker.

Scalphunter: The Devil’s Pay

In a 1980 issue of Weird Western Tales, main character Scalphunter journeys to Pittsburgh in 1862 but has difficulty accepting the contradictions of life in the Steel City during the Civil War.

The Album Art of Mozelle Thompson

The Pittsburgh native was one of the first African American artists to forge a career illustrating classical album covers during the 1950s but remains largely unknown despite his achievements.

1960 World Science Fiction Convention

The 18th Worldcon, also known as Pittcon, was held in Pittsburgh during September 1960, featuring some of the greatest authors of the sci-fi medium and the debut of multiple fan clubs.

1975 Star Trektacular and Twelfth Night

The Steel City hosted a fan-organized Star Trek convention in December 1975 that coincided with the Shakespearean debut of Spock actor Leonard Nimoy at the Pittsburgh Public Theater.

Supernatural Lore of Pittsburgh

Ghost stories almost always contain small bits of history, and the supernatural tales related to the city Pittsburgh and collected by Pennsylvania folklorist Thomas White are perfect examples.

Bjo Trimble and the Good Ship Enterprise

The legendary Star Trek fan and her husband John played a significant role in the early days of the sci-fi franchise, including the organization of a “Save Star Trek” campaign during the 1960s.

The Intergalactic Nemesis

Jason Neulander discusses the “live-action graphic novel” that premiered as a radio serial in 1996 before evolving into multimedia production that toured the world from 2011 through 2017.

Shazam: Captain Marvel Fights the Man of Steel

Previous Steel City visitors Billy Batson and his superhero alter ego returned to Pittsburgh in 1977 to face nemesis Doctor Sivana and his versions of both Joe Magarac and Superman.

Captain Marvel: The Man Who Inherited Pittsburgh

Billy Batson and his superhero alter ego visited Pittsburgh in September 1944 to aid the elderly Josh Dovey against his scheming younger brother, who is intent on stealing a deed to the city.

H.J. Heinz: The Man and His Company

A permanent exhibit at the Senator John Heinz History Center showcases the important role that the ketchup titan and his company played in the development of the prepared foods industry.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Steel City native Thomas Sweterlitsch’s novel is a sci-fi murder mystery in which Pittsburgh has been destroyed by a nuclear bomb but still exists as a virtual reality known as the Archive.