It’s the Summer of Sebak

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

After spending three hours with Rick Sebak in his office at WQED, I feel like I earned a Ph.D. in Pittsburgh.

He’s an authority on the Steel City and was happy to chat with this nebby reporter.

If Laffin’ Sal ever goes on the fritz at Kennywood, management should replace her with a Robotic Rick that spouts fun factoids about the park. That’s the only form of artificial intelligence I’d support.

To celebrate his five decades in public broadcasting, WQED-TV is revisiting his documentaries, including “The Strip Show,” “North Side Story,” “A Few Great Bakeries” and “Right Beside the River.” Different specials will air on Thursday nights and Saturday afternoons throughout the Summer of Sebak. Fans are invited to submit 15- to 30-second videos reminiscing about their favorite moments for social media.

You could say Sebak is the original Pittsburgh influencer, but I think the more appropriate term is “appreciator.”

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

It’s the little things that make Rick tick — a slice of pie, a stroll through a thrift shop, a wooden roller coaster, a good conversation. His work, which is elevated by an equally passionate crew of WQED employees and longtime collaborators, means something to people. It’s obvious he cares about the stuff he’s talking about (including the stuff that’s gone).

His cheerful voice and the lyrical way in which he writes about his subjects makes each history lesson fun and engaging. I’m thinking about hiring him to walk beside me, narrating my actions to make my life seem more interesting.

When I watch a Sebak documentary, I don’t feel like I’m consuming an hour-long advertisement for hot dogs, ice cream or Kennywood — I feel like I’m right there with him.

He’s a great tour guide, even when he’s sitting still. OK, forget Robotic Rick — Kennywood should give Sebak his own yarn swappin’ bench next to Cowboy Joe’s!

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Sebak’s office is filled with the flotsam and jetsam of a life well-lived. There’s so much to look at, my eyes started twitching like Beth Snodgrass’s in “Kennywood Memories.”

Four Sebak facts I learned within five minutes of walking into the room:

• He spent his junior year of college studying abroad in France.
• He almost choked to death at Potato City Country Inn in Potter County during the filming of “Pennsylvania Diners and Other Roadside Attractions” in 1990.
• His favorite breakfast spot in Pittsburgh is Lincoln’s P&G Diner in Millvale.
• He knows actress and comedian Lily Tomlin. (When he cleared off a chair for me, a photo of the two fell to the floor.

If and when he ever retires (a notion that’s difficult for me to comprehend), he says he’ll need at least a year to go through his collection. There are books, CDs and tchotchkes galore, along with stacks of Pittsburgh Magazines.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

He started writing for the publication, which was once owned by WQED, in 1994. His first article was titled “Why I Hate Nostalgia.”

The Bethel Park native graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and spent the first 16 years of his public broadcasting career in South Carolina, where he produced video diaries about life in The Palmetto State, including its official dance, The Shag.

Sebak has a knack for finding unexpected joys wherever he goes, but I’m glad he came back to Pittsburgh to shine a light on the Smoky City. It is, he says, “a mighty interesting and uncommon place to live.”

I have a Le Cachot tattoo, so obviously “Kennywood Memories” is my favorite entry in the Pittsburgh Film Series, but, as a diehard horror fan, I also have a soft spot for 1991’s “George Romero & The City of the Living Dead.” Although he was born in Brooklyn, the late filmmaker built his career in the ‘Burgh, including a stint working on “Mister Rogers Neighborhood.” Sebak’s documentary includes scenes from the celebration that took place when Romero was named Pittsburgh Magazine’s Pittsburgher of the Year in 1991.

The Summer of Sebak logo looks a lot like the one from “Dawn of the Dead.”

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Sebak has achieved what he calls “a comfortable level of celebrity” in his hometown, but he’s just being modest; he’s been immortalized in Smiley Cookie form, there’s a street named after him in Summerset at Frick Park, a residential development in Squirrel Hill, and a Lawrenceville mural by artist Brian Gonnella features him in a yoga pose and hoisting a Primanti Bros. sandwich above a banner that reads “Zen of Yinz.”

I met a fellow Sebak devotee last summer when I interviewed Andrew Lazarchik about the title belts he makes for World Wrestling Entertainment, Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, Picklesburgh and a bevy of other food and beverage brands.

“I watch Rick’s shows on a constant loop,” he says. “Almost every day I have at least one of his show’s playing in the background as I work at my home business, Wildcat Championship Belts here in Latrobe. I stared this small business as a side gig in 2005 with the hopes of growing it info a full-time career, which I have. In all seriousness I took inspiration from many people featured in various episodes.”

Of course, Sebak, the Undisputed Champion of Pittsburgh Trivia, got a belt.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILDCAT CHAMPIONSHIP BELTS

About a month ago, as I was having a beer at The Bohemian, Sebak walked in and the place went bananas. Patrons, myself included, soaked up his folksy wisdom as they chugged Czech lagers. It was an unexpected joy, indeed.

Sebak attributes his likeability to “having a face that always looks like I’m smiling.”

Dimples aside, he has an indefinable quality that draws people in.

Since 2024, he’s been working on “Lucky to Live in Pittsburgh,” a series covering everything from Badamo’s Pizza and Bottlerocket Social Hall to the history of the Clark Bar.

I say Pittsburgh’s lucky to have Sebak.