Al Capp's way with names

[George Thompson]

Dennis Preston writes:
"Capp had a way with names. My favorite was the Russian Sabre dancer Lopya Headoff."

This may be a traditional joke or a variant on one.  When I was a freshman in college (Boston University, 1959) I was standing at the counter of a campus eatery behind a singularly vacuous looking co-ed.  The counterman asked her where she was from.  Philadelphia.  Oh, I know a rabbi in Philadelphia, Rabbi Kutcherkokoff -- do you know him?  No.
I got it, at least, and the counterman tipped me a wink.

And as a parallel, I cite the radio comedian of the 1930s who played a Greek (I think) character named Parkykarkas (viz., park your carcass).  This actor was so identified with this role that he officially changed his name to Parkykarkas.  (Details on demand -- I know where I can look this guy up, the correct spelling of his radio name and his original name, but it's not handy right now.)

GAT

George A. Thompson
Author of A Documentary History of "The African
Theatre", Northwestern Univ. Pr., 1998.