An article for Polygon argues that Susie Derkins, Calvin's classmate and foil in Bill Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes", remains one of the most underappreciated characters in comic strip history despite embodying order, diligence and academic excellence against Calvin's chaos. The piece reflects on the strip's enduring cultural legacy, 31 years after it concluded, and questions why Susie's wit and intelligence have never received the recognition afforded to Calvin and Hobbes themselves.

The article highlights a widely shared strip from 4 October 1993, in which Susie tells Calvin "sometimes I think books are the only friends worth having" after he shows no interest in his schoolbooks, a line that has become a favourite on library noticeboards. It also notes recurring fan fiction, such as Tom Heyerman's 2011 comic "Hobbes and Bacon", which imagines Calvin and Susie marrying, despite the original strip rarely giving Susie her own storylines beyond serving as Calvin's contrasting, well-adjusted counterpart.