I think part of the point in the comic is that it is completely ludicrous, but I don't think that would have translated at all well.

Yes; in the comic, it's part of the whole deconstruction thing, but you can't render that cinematically.

I waved my arms around in joy and pointed this out to all the friends I was with. Because: 'you keep calling me Walter. I don't like you.'

Just last week, I spied a pairing named "Walter/Daniel". I was shocked, shocked, I tell you. He would NEVER consent to being called Walter.