Why Susie Derkins Is Calvin and Hobbes’ Most Underrated Character

Fan artists often draw continuations of Calvin and Hobbes themed around an adult Calvin passing Hobbes on to his own child. One of the best examples is 2011’s Hobbes and Bacon by Tom Heyerman of Pants Are Overrated. That work would be lost media today if it had not been rehosted on a WordPress blog almost 14 years ago.

Hobbes and Bacon represents a persistent trope in Calvin and Hobbes fan lore involving Calvin growing up to marry Susie Derkins. That reading is understandable because Susie is Calvin’s only consistent peer during the original run of the strip. If Calvin marries a canon character, she remains the only real option. At the same time, the choice feels strange since the strip usually treats Calvin and Susie like oil and water.

Exceptions exist, such as the Valentine’s Day arc from 1986. That storyline stems from the same early installment quirks that introduced Calvin’s Uncle Max. Otherwise, Susie serves primarily as Calvin’s foil. She is well-adjusted while Calvin is maladjusted, a good student against a scholastic misfit, and the embodiment of order versus chaos. Occasional hints suggest they share a crush, but staying in the same room long enough for a civil conversation seems difficult for them, let alone having a child together.

Rival schoolchildren

Like Calvin’s parents, Susie exists in Calvin and Hobbes to bounce off Calvin. Unlike them, she rarely receives a dedicated spotlight. The closest she comes to a solo arc occurs in May 1986 when she finds the missing Hobbes after a stray dog drags him off.

Most readers seeking a memorable line from Susie cite the strip from Oct. 4, 1993, which appeared on countless library bulletin boards worldwide.

I love my school books, Susie tells Calvin while waiting for the school bus in the morning. Just think, pretty soon we will have read all of this.

Calvin shows no interest and turns his schoolbook into a flip cartoon of a T-rex driving the Batmobile. Unfazed, Susie delivers the punchline. Sometimes I think books are the only friends worth having.

Susie’s lack of focus in Calvin and Hobbes leaves readers wondering how she developed her study habits, as the strip provides no answers. Graduate students often lack half of Susie Derkins’ academic dedication.

Either way, Susie Derkins functions as a study guide of sorts. As Calvin’s direct opposite, she ranks among the best students in fiction despite being only six years old. Her attitude toward books remains a favorite line for bibliophilic Gen-Xers around the world.

Source: Polygon