Pittsburgh: A Geek History

Pittsburgh may not be the first city that comes to mind when one thinks of Geek Culture, but the Steel City has played a key role in its development just the same. From dinosaur excavations in the early 1900s to the development of the first robot in the 1920s, the first movie theater to the birth of the modern zombie, Pittsburgh has left an indelible mark on popular culture. The city may be better known for its sports teams and former steel mills but its Geek History is just as noteworthy and significant nonetheless.

Pat DiCesare and the Pittsburgh Music Scene

The legendary concert promoter began his career in the 1950s and brought many of the biggest rock performers to the Steel City over the course of four decades, including the Beatles in 1964.

Pittsburgh and the Birth of the Film Industry

Film historian Michael Aronson explores the Steel City’s role in the early days of the motion picture industry in Nickelodeon City: Pittsburgh at the Movies, including the first movie theater.

Pittsburgh and the Second Bone Wars

The Carnegie Museum competed against other museums during the early twentieth century in the hunt for dinosaur bones, resulting in the discovery of a new species named Diplodocus carnegii.

Pittsburgh and the Video Game Apocalypse

The Steel City made its second post-apocalyptic appearance in the 2013 video game The Last of Us, which followed a 2009 add-on for Fallout 3 and featured many familiar local landmarks.

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.

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.

Simon Pegg and Dawn of the Dead

The British actor not only created the cult classic Shaun of the Dead as homage but appeared as a zombie in George Romero’s Land of the Dead and even attended its 2005 premier in Pittsburgh.

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.

Steel City Ghostbusters

Members of the Pittsburgh fanclub have attended numerous conventions, parades, and charity events in the region, dressed as characters from the classic 1984 supernatural comedy since 2008.

Steel City Time Machine

A Pittsburgh-based fan of Back to the Future fan refurbished a 1982 DeLorean into a replica of the film’s time traveling sports coupe and can often be seen patrolling the streets of city in it.

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.

Tekko and Japanese Pop Culture

The event chair for the 2013 edition of Tekko discusses the annual Pittsburgh convention and explains what it is about Japanese popular culture that people find so fascinating and appealing.

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.

The Art of Robots

Pittsburgh has not one but two local artists who specialize in robotic artwork, Toby Atticus Fraley and Don L. Jones, and their creative achievements have appeared throughout the city.

The Beginnings of the USS Inferno

The Pittsburgh chapter of STARFLEET: The International Star Trek Fan Association was formed in 2004, an offshoot of various similar Star Trek clubs that existed in the 1990s.

The Robots of Westinghouse

The Pittsburgh-based company was at the forefront of robotic design and creation during the first half of the twentieth century, beginning with Herbert Televox and including Elektro the Moto-Man.

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.

The Walking Dead and the Steel City

The AMC drama was heavily influenced by filmmaker George Romero, features special effects courtesy of Greg Nicotero, and even once cast former Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward as a zombie.

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.

Wizarding World of Pittsburgh

The Steel City has its own annual wizarding festival, held in nearby Moon Township, as well as a wizard rock band and muggle quidditch team, adding to the overall geek culture of the region.

Wolverine Mechanical Toys

Because of its popular Sandy Andy, the Wolverine Supply & Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh was one of the leading toy companies during the first half of the twentieth century.

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