Continuing my series of Score personalities as figures from the world of Marvel and D.C. Comics. This is part 7.

Matt Abbatacola is Iron Man. It makes more sense to say that Matt Abbatacola is Iron Man's alter-ego, Tony Stark. What's so funny is that I've been thinking about this for a couple of months, even before I went to Mexico.

There is no doubt that Matty is the Score's equivalent of Tony Stark. A hard partying, hard drinking playboy, like Stark. I even brought the January issue of Iron Man into the station to show him. He laughed out loud because it was Stark on the Yacht, getting massaged by hotties.

The weird thing is Matty has now become obsessed with Iron Man. When I first told him the similarities between he and Stark, he said, "You think they'll make a movie? If they do, they should have me in it." I told him that Robert Downey Jr. was going to star and he laughed, "Are you serious, I'd be better than him." That's Matty...and that's Stark! Both are very confident.

At the remote last week at Blues Bar, Matty cemented his "Tony Stark" status with his outfit. Style is a big issue for Matty and he was profilin' at the Scorehead of the Year event. He busted out the 3-piece, pinstripe suit and the aviator shades. I hope that Matty doesn't take this the wrong way, but like Stark, he loves the attention.

I've always felt that Iron Man's armor has sub-text. In the early days of Stark's life, he struggled with alcoholism and a heart condition. Both have since been remedied. I've always thought that the "suit" protected Tony from emotion. Inside of the armor is a fairly sensitive guy.

In the Civil War, Iron Man championed Super-hero registration after being lobbied by the mother of a dead child, who died at the hands of under-trained heroes. He was so moved that he waged war on his best friend (Captain America) and every other "Hero" that didn't want to register.

Now he's the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. working inside the system.

Matty's pretty sensitive too. You wouldn't know it by seeing him or listening to him when he's on the air. Like Stark the armor goes up. I've seen the instances when Matty does let down his guard or drops his iron...I've seen the guy without the shades, the ladies or the hair gel and it's pretty amazing!

Next up, Dan Zampillo...

Tonight's topic was Superbowl parties, just so he could make about 50 references that women were at his place

Part 8-Dan Zampillo/Green Arrow
Current mood: calm
Category: Sports


Continuing my series of Score personalities as figures from the world of Marvel and D.C. Comics. This is part 8.

I got a call last week from my man Z, he had been reading the blogs and wondered if he'd get an entry. While he's no longer a Score personality, he was my on-air partner for 4 years. So out of respect for the Me & Z show...

Dan Zampillo is Oliver Queen, aka The Green Arrow. Oliver is one of the most politcally-minded characters in the D.C. Universe. Z is one of the most politically-minded people I know.

Since I've known Dan, he's been informed and involved. I first took notice back in 1999. Z and I started working at the Score on the same day (May '98). He was ahead of me in the pecking order because I was an outsider and he had worked as an intern on the Heavy Fuel Crew show. So when the next full-time producing slot opened up, he got it. It was the old overnight shift, with Les Grobstein. That can be a grueling shift, it started around 11:30p and ended around 6a. There was also downtime during the shift, which allowed Dan to brush up on his Presidential history. Z taught himself all of the Presidents, in order.

While Z is a fan of the political process, he isn't always thrilled with whom the electorate has to choose from. Like Oliver, he has a problem with people who are right-leaning, especially if they can't back up their position. Both men care about and champion causes that have to do with the environment.

The Green Arrow is smart, insightful, dependable and loyal. While he's fine on his own, he's spent plenty of time building strong relationships with other heroes. Whether it was: Batman, Superman or his well chronicled partnership with members of the Green Lantern Corp (Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner in particular), Oliver has always been able to play nice. It's not easy for a regular guy to play with the "big boys", but Green Arrow has always held his own.

Z has always been a great teammate. He's a "greater good" type of guy. Doing the Me & Z show was one of the happiest times in my life. Green Arrow isn't about the spotlight, neither is Z. Dan, allowed me to be in control of the show, but I always felt like he was the star. Like Oliver, Z would rather blend into the background. He's simply one of the most decent individuals I've ever met.

The funniest comparison of the two is that forever, Oliver and Z have been about the "little guy". For the past 4 years, Z has been an executive. Green Arrow is now Mayor of Star City. Both guys working from the inside now.

Hopeless romantics, Oliver found the love of his life, Black Canary. Z is still searching, but I hear that he's getting close. Besides being one of the best archers in the world, Green Arrow is also a "Master Swordsman". Everyone at the Score knows that Z can definitely likes that comparison.

Next up, in the finale, Laurence Holmes...

i've been to a "me & z" party / it was a sausage fest / there was so much sausage there i thought it was hosted by "me & jimmy dean."

I don't like white rappers.

ive seen gayer.

The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.