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.

 

DinoMite Days: Pittsburgh as Jurassic Park

In 2003, the Steel City was overrun by dinosaurs as part of an art exhibit sponsored by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History that highlighted the region’s past, present, and future.

Jim Shooter: The Trouble Shooter of Comics

The Pittsburgh native began his career as a writer for DC Comics at the age of fourteen and eventually rose to editor-in-chief of rival Marvel in the late 1970s, a position he held for nine years.

The Early Days of Buffy Fandom

In her book Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby?, Allyson Beatrice offers insights into the early years of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fandom and the community that formed online.

Jackie Ormes and African American Comic Strips

The first African American female cartoonist was born in the Steel City and created two successful comic strips, Patty-Jo ’n’ Ginger and Torchy in Heartbeats, for the Pittsburgh Courier.

Matt Baker: A Golden Age Legend

One of the first African American comic book artists to find success in the medium was raised in Pittsburgh and made his mark during the 1940s and 50s while working at Iger Studios and St. John Publishing.

The Guild

Review of the six-season, groundbreaking comedy web series created by actress Felicia Day that revolves around a group of online gamers who struggle when it comes to living in the real world.

Poptastic! The Art of Burton Morris

The Senator John Heinz History Center honored one of Pittsburgh’s best known artistic talents with a 2013 exhibit that showcased Pop Art creations of both local and national significance.

The Buffy Sing-Along Phenomenon

Interactive screenings of the “Once More, With Feeling” musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer briefly swept the country over a three year period before ending due to licensing issues.

Birth of the Living Dead

The 2013 documentary examines the classic Pittsburgh zombie film Night of the Living Dead and contains many anecdotes from director George A. Romero regarding the production.

Night of the Living Dead: The Opera

Composer Todd Goodman discusses transforming George Romero’s classic 1968 zombie film into a contemporary opera that simultaneously appeals to both opera and horror fans alike.

Dodge Intrepid and the Pages of Time

A trio of Pittsburgh actors developed an old school radio drama featuring a 1940s time traveling librarian from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, with each episode of the series performed live onstage.

Welcome to Duckburgh

A 1987 episode of DuckTales hints that the fictitious hometown of Donald Duck is in the same locale as Pittsburgh, while the Steel City itself was visited by a giant Rubber Duck in 2013.