31 Years Later, the Smartest ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ Character Still Doesn’t Get the Recognition They Deserve
Susie Derkins, a supporting character from the beloved comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, deserves greater recognition for her importance to the strip’s narrative and legacy, according to recent analysis. The article explores how fan culture has kept the 31-year-old strip alive through creative continuations and reimaginings, many of which feature an adult Calvin married to Susie—a pairing that has become a persistent trope in fan works.
Calvin and Hobbes ran from 1985 to 1995 and has inspired countless fan artists to imagine what the characters’ lives might be like decades later. One notable example is “Hobbes and Bacon” (2011) by Tom Heyerman, a well-executed fan continuation that would likely have been lost to time if not for its preservation on a WordPress blog. This work exemplifies a broader pattern: adult Calvin often marries Susie in fan interpretations, suggesting that fans recognize her as his most significant peer relationship throughout the original strip’s run.
Susie was Calvin’s only consistent peer character in the strip, making her a natural choice as a romantic partner in fan imagination. While this pairing is somewhat unconventional—given their often-antagonistic relationship in the comic—it reflects how fan communities perceive her narrative weight. Despite her clear importance to Calvin’s character development and the strip’s dynamic, Susie apparently remains underappreciated in mainstream discussions of Calvin and Hobbes’ legacy.
The article highlights how fan culture serves as a form of literary criticism and creative tribute, keeping classic works relevant and allowing communities to explore narrative possibilities the original creator did not pursue.