It’s a comeback, Charlie Brown

These days Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the other members of the Peanuts gang seem to be everywhere.

With 'The Peanuts Movie,” Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang are hitting the big screen - and in 3-D no less. The movie opens Friday, and the promotions and tie-ins are everywhere.

The post office has 'A Charlie Brown, Christmas” stamps available. Build-a-Bear Workshop has a special Peanuts movie collection. Pig Pen is starring in an All detergent commercial - which seems more than fitting. There's even a new Peanuts video game being released. And the movie merchandise is hitting shelves and websites just in time for holiday shopping season.

Some might say it's a wonder it's taken this long for a Peanuts movie to hit theaters. The syndicated comic - where the world first met Charlie Brown, Snoopy et al - by Charles M. Schulz ran from Oct. 2, 1950, to Feb. 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. It is arguably one of the most influential comic strips in American history. At its peak, the comic ran in some 2,600 newspapers.

That's were Marcia Hughes, 53, of Cedar Rapids, remembers discovering the Peanuts gang at a young age.

'I loved the characters and how the daily strips each captured a snapshot of life and shared a life lesson or message through the humor,” she says. 'It was a strip that everyone in my family enjoyed together; ‘Who has the comics?' and ‘Did you read Charlie Brown yet?,' were questions often heard in our home.”

Today, Hughes says her appreciation for Snoopy and friends remains strong.

'I continue to appreciate the simple and timeless messages of Peanuts. I share a lot of greeting cards with family and friends and I often choose cards that feature Peanuts. I also enjoy posting the Peanuts messages and images on my Facebook page - everyone can relate to one or more of these darling characters. Let's face it - they make us smile!”

Connie Chapman, 56 of Fairfax, also has been a life-long fan and similar to many adults across the Corridor has fond memories of watching the Peanuts holiday specials.

'I grew up with two TV channels, and we always watched the Christmas special,” she says.

Matt Pieper, 47, of Marion has similar memories.

'I've liked the Peanuts Gang for as long as I can remember,” he says. 'The cartoons were always something you looked forward to at the holidays. ... My parents first Christmas decorations were that of Peanuts gang cut-outs off of Coca-Cola boxes.”

Collecting holiday ornaments soon became a Peanuts connection for Chapman, too.

'My mom bought me my first ornament in 1976,” she said. 'It's ceramic. That really started the tradition.”

Once she was in her 20s, Chapman started collecting new Peanuts ornaments - thanks to Hallmark - each year. Today, Chapman estimates she has as many as 400 Peanuts ornaments.

'I decorate a whole tree with them.” Chapman has also passed the tradition on to her four-year-old granddaughter, who she bought a small Christmas tree for.

'She thinks it is really cool that she has her own Snoopy tree,” Chapman said.

'The holiday specials were a pretty big deal in my world, especially, ‘It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' and ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas,'” says Elisabeth Kissling, 37, of Marion. 'I enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, the movies but also the tradition of sitting down and enjoying them every year with family. This was during the days before video on demand, so we had to plan our night around the TV schedule to watch it.”

It's a tradition that some have carried on with their own children. Pieper says he enjoys watching the holiday specials with his kids. 'It's good family time,” he said. 'It gives them a glimpse of the past and how things today don't necessarily have to be so radically different.”

'My son and I definitely enjoy watching ‘The Great Pumpkin' together every year,” says Kissling, noting that her seven year old's favorite characters are Snoopy and Woodstock.

She is excited to be take him to see the movie when it premieres next week.

'It will be fun to see how they incorporate modern references into the classic underdog story,” she said. 'The potential to see it in 3D is an added bonus.”

Chapman also plans to take her granddaughter to the new movie.

'We will also go to Build-a-Bear. She'll get something and I'll probably get something,” she laughs.

With the movie coming out, Chapman is thinking she'll find other unique Peanuts items to add to her collection of ornaments, dishware and stuffed animals.