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.

In addition to writing for Geek Frontiers and Remixing History, Letizia is working on a book that ties together the fictional narratives from the Marvel Comics Universe of the 1960s and the factual events of the decade, similar to the articles that serve as the backbone of Remixing History but in a longer and more detailed format.

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.

Champions: Sheriff Studdard and Daly County

The Marvel superhero team travel to the American Southwest to confront an elected county sheriff waging war against immigrants, similar to the real-world Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County.

Sam Wilson: The U.S.-Mexican Border

Sam Wilson, the newly anointed Captain American in the Marvel Comics Universe, defended migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexican border despite the political controversy of his actions.

Green Arrow: Journey to Appalachia

Two years after Senator Robert F. Kennedy embarked on a “poverty tour” of Kentucky, Green Arrow and Green Lantern made a similar journey to a small mining town called Desolation.

Captain Marvel vs. Atomic Armageddon

In 1946, the Fawcett Comics superhero Captain Marvel is unable to prevent an atomic attack that kills billions, contradicting assurances that one could survive an assault with proper precautions.

Green Arrow: The Population Bomb

In their 1968 book The Population Bomb, Paul and Anne Ehrlich warned against overpopulation and dangers to the environment, issues also explored by Green Arrow and Green Lantern.

TeachRock

The brainchild of rock musician Steve Van Zandt, the non-profit organization has developed over 200 lesson plans that use music to teach everything from history to science to mathematics.

Green Arrow: Love Canal and Toxic Waste

In 1986, Green Arrow teamed with Batman to expose the dangers of toxic waste from a chemical plant, similar to how residents of Love Canal fought against exposure in their own community.

Graphic Medicine International Collective

The non-profit serves as a community for proponents of Graphic Medicine, a growing field that combines comics with healthcare as a way to educate and improve communication with patients.

Green Arrow and the 1980s

Although regulated to the back pages of Detective Comics, the DC superhero Green Arrow continued to fight for the underdog during a decade known for the phrase “greed is good.”

Green Arrow vs. Machiavelli

Writer Joey Cavalieri pitted Niccolò Machiavelli against DC superhero Green Arrow in 1982, contrasting their differing philosophies during an attempted takeover of Star City by criminals.

Marvel and the Military-Industrial Complex

The military-industrial complex that President Dwight Eisenhower warned against played a pivotal role in the Marvel Comics Universe, including the creation of the Hulk and Iron Man.

Ms. Marvel and Voting in America

Writer G. Willow Wilson explored the reasons why Americans don’t vote in a Ms. Marvel comic book published in November 2016 in which the superhero tries to increase turnout in Jersey City.