give me liberty

Rip Off Press Summer 1976
Though billing itself as “A Revised History of the American Revolution,” Give Me Liberty! does not deviate greatly from the facts when retelling the history of the United States establishing sovereignty from British rule. It does, however, tell the story of the American revolution with a great sense of humor and embellishes it by mixing fictional characters with historical figures.

Give Me Liberty! is a collaboration between Gilbert Shelton and Ted Richards, with art assistance from Willy Murphy and Gary Hallgren. The book begins with the story of the Boston Massacre in 1770 and soon introduces three protagonists who are featured on and off through the book; Ebeneezer (the town lush), Nehemiah (an ordinary citizen), and Cadwallader (a young boy anxious to help defeat the British). The comic includes stories about many historical figures, including Paul Revere, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and John Paul Jones, as well as less notorious role players from the era.

Compared to Leonard Rifas’s An Army of Principles, which focuses more on the educational aspects of the revolution, Give Me Liberty! injects a lot of levity into the story, which makes it just a bit more entertaining than the book from Rifas, which was published around the same time. Yet they both do a fine job of informing readers about many interesting details of the history that were likely forgotten or never learned by many. Just be forewarned that Give Me Liberty! also includes some fictionalization, unlike An Army of Principles.

Featuring some of the best comic creators in the underground, Give Me Liberty! is well written, funny and fast-paced, yet it also includes a solemn lesson about the heavy price of war at the end of the book. The artwork is outstanding and really sets it apart from any other comic book about the American revolution.