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Carlini might not approve of all of the following impersonators. Elvis was a king, not a court jester, and shouldn't be played for laughs. Still, here are some of the more unusual Elvii.

The Elvis Gallery

The Asian Elvis — There are actually dozens, if not hundreds, of Asian impersonators. But Robert Kim, also known as Yoshi Suzuki, has received two endorsements that are hard to match. He is the only impersonator to record an entire album with Presley's backing singers, the Jordanaires. And Presley's own hairdresser, Larry Geller, chose Suzuki for the audio version of his book, If I Can Dream.

"It started as a joke. I did The Gong Show as 'The Japanese Elvis' and I won first prize," Suzuki says. From there, he appeared in Honeymoon In Vegas, and on CNN and The Tonight Show.

"Elvis would have loved Suzuki," Geller says. "It's funny that an Asian guy can do Elvis so well. But Suzuki doesn't have to play for laughs to make a point."

Cop Elvis — Talk about commitment: Just two weeks ago, a New Zealand policeman chose to turn in his badge rather than stop imitating his hero. Constable Brian Childs of Wellington, the reigning Australasian champion Elvis Presley impersonator, resigned from the force after being ordered by police bosses to choose between his blue uniform or his blue suede shoes.

Political Elvis — Bruce Borders might not be the King. But he was mayor of Jasonville, Ind., a town of 2,500 people. "The competition tried to use Elvis against me," Borders says. "But the voters knew I was serious." He remained an Elvis performer through his eight years in office, beginning in 1988. "I was re-elected to one four-year term and still did about 70 gigs a year. After that, I quit to concentrate on selling insurance and being Elvis," he says. "I just didn't have the time for politics."

Extreme Elvis — What would Elvis be like if he were alive today (and still gaining weight)? A 350-pound San Francisco performance artist, who lets fans rub his Buddha belly, says he has the answer. Presley traditionalists have complained that "Extreme Elvis" has been known to strip on stage.