Nina Abrecht: 4Most

The cover and story “The Cadet: Beaten by a Mere Girl!” in 4Most #v5#2 [18] (Spring 1946) were created by Nina Dorothy Albright, one of the few women illustrating and writing comic books during that era.

Nina was born as Nina Abrecht on February 15, 1907, in Manhattan, New York City. At the age of 15 in 1922, she received an honorable mention in a drawing contest featured in St. Nicholas, a children’s magazine. This pivotal moment led her to pursue a career in art, and she graduated from a Catholic high school in Queens in June 1924.

Dan’s “Marks are skidding fast.”

In September 1924, Nina began her artistic journey at the Pratt Institute of Brooklyn, School of Art. She successfully completed her studies at Pratt Institute in June 1927.

Following her divorce in 1944, Nina adopted the name “Nina Dorothy Albright” and entered the comic book industry. She freelanced for various comic shops, with her work published by several companies. After approximately nine years in the industry, she transitioned to illustrating educational textbooks, magazines, and young adult novels, including covers for paperback books.

Dan and Hilda “The Kiss”

Now, let’s dive into the story of “The Cadet.” Dan Merry was instantly infatuated with Hilda Potts, even though she consistently outperformed him in all beach sports, including Judo, all while being unaware that she was the reigning champion girl athlete of her state. This situation led to some teasing from Dan’s fellow cadet classmates.

Dan’s friend, Kit, provided some sage advice, urging him to “Snap out of it fella!  Your marks are skidding fast!” Hilda’s friend, Ginny, went a step further by orchestrating a picnic with a daring twist: Dan was supposed to rescue them from being stuck Mile High Cliff to regain his lost confidence.

However, when Hilda unexpectedly arrived and saved them before Dan could accept the challenge, he felt a heightened sense of frustration. Fate, however, took an unexpected turn when Hilda became frightened by a rattlesnake and ended up falling off a ledge, putting herself in a perilous situation. This time, it was Dan who stepped in to rescue her, pulling her to safety. Their joint heroics culminated in a well-deserved and unforgettable kiss.

Read the full story below: