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.

David Bowie’s Adventures with the Doctor

While musician David Bowie was often inspired by science fiction, a 2014 Doctor Who comic book explored Bowie as the product of sci-fi itself when he joins the Doctor on his travels.

The Doctor Meets Doctor Who Fandom

A 2013 comic book saw the Eleventh Doctor arrive in a parallel universe where Doctor Who is a television show and showcased the ways that fandom plays a positive role in so many lives.

The Unstoppable Wasp and G.I.R.L.

The 2007 comic book series follows the exploits of a teenage superhero recruiting other female geniuses and serves as an inspiration for real-world young women to pursue careers in STEM.

The First College Course on Comic Books

Indiana University student Michael Uslan successfully proposed a course on comic books in 1972, the first solely centered on the medium, that generated publicity across the country.

Buffy in the Classroom

A collection of essays explores the ways that the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been used in college classrooms, including freshman introductory courses and seminars.

Set Phasers to Teach

The collection of essays discuss the various ways that the science fiction franchise Star Trek can be used in college classrooms, including within fields that might not be immediately evident.

Agent Carter: I Know My Value

The short-lived television spinoff from the Marvel Cinematic Universe follows the exploits of a female government agent as she navigates the male-dominant world of the late 1940s.

Exploring Science Through Science Fiction

Barry Luokkala, a teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University, uses science fiction to teach factual science, both in the classroom and through a paperback textbook available to the public.

Warehouse 13: Snag, Bag and Tag

Overview of the Syfy Channel television drama that follows a pair of Secret Service Agents who travel the globe collecting mystical artifacts of the past for warehouse located in South Dakota.

Shakespeare and Star Trek

Andy Kirtland, former artistic associate of the Unseam’d Shakespeare Company in Pittsburgh, discusses the influence of William Shakespeare within the world of the Star Trek franchise.

Person of Interest and Minority Report

Examination of the television drama Person of Interest and Steven Spielberg film Minority Report, both of which explore worlds in which violent crimes can be predicted and prevented.

Castle: The Zombie Horde

Exploration of the cultural fascination with the walking dead, including the popularity of Zombie Walks, using the “Undead Again” episode of the television detective series Castle as catalyst.