Oops. My bad.

Where did the phrase "Pitch Black" come from?

Hi Brian, small world.
The saying "pitch black" comes from a substance called pitch, that is black. There are other phrases like it:
Snow White
Rose Red
Sky Blue
Pitch Black

Here's the definition of "pitch" in this sense, from m-w.com:
Main Entry: 1pitch
Pronunciation: 'pich
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English pich, from Old English pic, from Latin pic-, pix; akin to Greek pissa pitch, Old Church Slavonic picilu
1 : a black or dark viscous substance obtained as a residue in the distillation of organic materials and especially tars
2 : any of various bituminous substances
3 : resin obtained from various conifers and often used medicinally
4 : any of various artificial mixtures resembling resinous or bituminous pitches

P.S. Please bill yourself as "Brian from Atlanta" or something in the future, to avoid confusion.

I believe the "from Shawnee" confusion is my fault. When posting Brian's question, my browser's "auto fill" feature/hindrance/defect tried to be helpful and added the modifier. It happened so quickly I didn't notice, et voila! I have spoken harshly to the software, and turned off the auto fill. Sorry.

No problem, Bob. I just didn't want the "Brian from Shawnee" brand to fall into public domain.