Helen, could you be thinking of Joe Palooka? He was the boxer in the long-ago comic strip, which was a favorite of mine when I was a wee mite. There was also a Bazooka Joe, which I think was a hero figure invented by the bubblegum outfit--sort of an earlier version of Captain Crunch. None of this answers Father Steve's query. The bazooka weapon dates back to the WWII era. I remember, when I was drafted into the US Army in the 50's, having to fire a bazooka during basic training.