Whatsitsname Wednesdays: The First Captain Atom

 The year was 1950, a period when superheroes were on the wane due to various factors. Comicbook publishers were downsizing or simply phasing out of existence, which left a void for enterprising young companies to fill the void. Among these was Nation-Wide Publishing.

Enter Captain Atom. No not that one, the original Cap whose title was filled with "approved adventure stories - all based on scientific facts and theories". Who exactly approved them we cannot say. The main character Captain Atom sported various gadgets including a uranium amplifier, a spectrascope, an atom submarine, and a walkie-talkie television; as well as vehicles such as an atom powered noiseless ram rocket, and an auto-gyro parachute.

Aided by his trusty companions Professor King and Rusty, he lasted all of seven issues through 1951 before being canceled and fading into obscurity.

Whatsitsname Wednesdays: Roly-Poly Comics

In 1945, during a period when MLJ Comics was transforming into the empire that would become known for its red-haired superstar Archie, superheroes were being phased out.

Still, trying to eck out whatever profits they could from their soon-to-be defunct superhero properties, the company authorized little known Green Publishing to reprint select stories from several of MLJ's anthology titles in the format of "Roly-Poly Comics".

However, the series was irregular in production and in number. Issues #2, 3, 4, 5, 7. 8. 9, and 13 were never published. This publisher also dabbled in other properies, mostly funny animals until 1957 when it closed shop.

Whatsitsname Wednesdays: Where Cap Atom Came From

Charlton Comics' Lawbreakers #1-9 became Lawbreakers Suspense Stories #10-14 then Strange Suspense Stories #16-22 transforming into This is Suspense! #23-26 which morphed into Terry and the Pirates #26-28 (two 26s!) then into a separate series Long John Silver and the Pirates until #32 while also reverting in a separate publication back to Strange Suspense Stories #27-77 before finally becoming Captain Atom #78-89.

Whatitsname Wednesdays: Hangman-Black Hood-Laugh

MLJ Comics' Special Comics #1 turns into Hangman Comics #2-8 then Black Hood Comics #11-19 graduating into Laugh Comics #20-400. On issue #85 the "Comics" is dropped from Laugh.