“An Army of Principles”
Published by Kitchen Sink and © by Leonard Rifas, 1976
Title: “An Army of Principles”
Synopsis: Tensions grow between England and its New World colonies, eventually leading to the American Revolution.
Writer: Leonard Rifas
Penciler: Rifas, Larry Rippee, Moria Wright, Charly Price, Phil Collins and Alice Dubiel
Inker: Rifas
Review: Cartoonist and comics educator Leonard Rifas amassed a small-but-distinct body of work during his career, and “An Army of Principles” is a fine example from said catalog. Playing it straighter than fellow underground Give Me Liberty! (see review), this nonfiction retelling of the American origin story draws from extensive primary and secondary sources. The result is a well-research synthesis of the founding, though one that makes for a fairly dry, text-heavy comic. Rifas’ cartooning also shows promise, but an assist from several pencilers leads to an inconsistent look. An interesting early use of comic books as an educational tool.
Grade: B-
Cool factor: Along with comics pioneer Will Eisner, Leonard Rifas was an early advocate to the power of sequential art as an educational tool.
Not-so-cool factor: The abrupt ending felt like the creator simply ran out of pages.
Notable: Also includes a “Selected Bibliography/Recommended Reading” page.
Character quotable: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” – The Declaration of Independence
Editor’s note: This review was written Sept. 28, 2026.
