New comic book invites tourists to Valley Forge
UPPER MERION >> The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board is releasing the third installment of its comic book — Patriot Tales — just in time for the July 4 holiday. At the same time, the agency has launched its summer advertising campaign, using the popular comic book series as the backdrop for a new television commercial.
Launched in August 2018, Patriot Tales tells the fictional story of children that travel back in time, where they meet George Washington and discover the area’s history. The series puts the focus on Valley Forge National Historical Park’s history and the tourism board’s history brand — Patriot Trails.
Free copies of the third installment of Patriot Tales — “Revolutionary Light: Hope at Hope Lodge” — will be given out in the main parking lot of Valley Forge Park’s temporary visitor center on July 4. It will also be distributed at the Wawa Welcome America event in Philadelphia.
The comic book makes history more family-friendly, according to Edward Harris, chief marketing officer of the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board.
“We’re so proud that kids are learning about the history here, but we also wanted to include a positive, anti-bullying message in this latest issue to connect with children on another level,” he said in a press release.
According to Harris, 3,000 copies of each of the first two issues were printed. Because of the increased demand and the distribution in Philadelphia, he
Since its initial release, the popularity of the Patriot Tails series has grown beyond the borders of Montgomery County and even Pennsylvania, with requests coming from teachers interested in using it in their classrooms in Buffalo, N.Y., and Houston, Texas.
said 5,000 copies of the newest installment have been printed.
When the comic book was launched in 2018, Harris said the goal was to get as many families and kids as possible excited about history in the county, through relatable content.
“It’s fun as well as educational. We also wanted to continue to expand the audience, and build on the momentum behind the Patriot Trails brand,” he said in an emailed response to questions Monday.
In addition to the story, the comic book includes a section of puzzles to educate kids on historical facts and features Monty the Fox — the mascot for Montgomery County.
The comic book is distributed to community libraries, elementary schools, historic sites, 75 hotels and at the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board’s traveling kiosk during events throughout the year. A digital version can be downloaded at PatriotTrails.com.
Harris acknowledges that the use of technology is increasing among kids as well as adults.
“That’s why we wanted to find a different way of connecting with families to discover and explore the story of our historic heroes, make them come to life
and hopefully drive more traffic to the park and our other historic sites,” he said.
Since its initial release, the popularity of the Patriot Tails series has grown beyond the borders of Montgomery County and even Pennsylvania, according to Harris, with requests coming from teachers in Buffalo, N.Y. and Houston, Texas — interested in using it in their classrooms.
The tourism board’s summer TV campaign brings the Patriot Tales story to life and features two kids and two Revolutionary War soldiers exploring the history and attractions across Montgomery County, including indoor skydiving at iFly, zip-lining at the Elmwood Park Zoo, 5 Wits and Legoland.
The commercial is airing throughout the summer in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and the Harrisburg, York, Lancaster and Lebanon markets, as well as on digital platforms and social media.
The goal for the summer TV campaign, according to Harris, is to attract and promote overnight stays to Montgomery County in conjunction with the agency’s summer hotel package, which runs through Labor Day.
For the commercial, the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board once again partnered with Fresh Fly, a Philadelphia-based production company. In addition, director and producer John Rusk assisted with scenes shot at Valley Forge National Historical Park.