Calvin's Parents

 Calvin's Dad is nameless, but is apparently a satirical portrayal of Bill Watterson's own father. (In fact, Calvin's dad is a patent attorney, like Watterson's father). Watterson explains that most of Calvin's camping trips which involve "character building" are relatively unaltered versions of the trips his own dad used to take him on, while Watterson was a kid. 

Calvin's Dad is extremely amusing, from his explanation of natural events (which often become more complicated than the real explanation) to his reaction to Calvin's "escapades". He is fairly level-headed, sometimes sarcastic: often with a strange twist of humor. He probably enjoys Calvin a lot, though he did claim that what he really wanted was a dog!

Calvin's Mom is nameless as well. She's hardworking and is always there when Calvin is in real trouble, like when Calvin accidentally rolls the car into a ditch, or when Hobbes is really lost, or when Calvin is sick. She's about as perfect a mom as you could expect- especially with a son like Calvin.  

Of course, Calvin's Mom is exasperated by Calvin at times, too. Parenting Calvin is a tough job, its amazing that she's still sane. Watterson's own comments on Calvin's mom:

"The daily disciplinarian, a job which taxes her sanity... so I don't think we get to see her at her best. I regret that the strip mostly shows her impatient side, but I try to hint at other aspects of her personality and her interests by what she's doing when Calvin barges in."

 

Susie Derkins

Susie Derkins is the perfect, "A" student kid who lives next door. She is a girl who Watterson describes as "earnest, serious and smart". She serves as an excellent foil for Calvin's personality - and Hobbes', as well. Susie and Calvin have a love-hate relationship which is based on mostly intense dislike. Calvin rarely does anything worse than kidnapping Mr. Bun or pelting Susie with snowballs while contemplating the effect of his actions on Christmas morning. Susie is by no means a sitting duck either, as she's often the one who has the last laugh in most of Calvin's schemes.

Miss Wormwood

Miss Wormwood is named after the apprentice devil in C. S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters. We see hints that she's waiting to retire, that she smokes too much, and that she takes a lot of medication. She seriously believes in the value of education, so needless to say, she's an unhappy person.

Moe

Moe is the everyday jerk you know. He's big, dumb, ugly, and cruel. Moe is the school bully in Calvin's Elementary School and very often Calvin is the victim of his exploits. Due to his relative bigger size, Calvin only way to retort him are sarcastic comments which often lands him up face-down on the floor.

Rosalyn

Rosalyn is Calvin's babysitter, the only person who Calvin truly fears. She is described by Watterson as someone "who even seems to daunt Calvin's parents, using their desparation to get out of the house to demand advances and raises". Most of her visits to Calvin's house have been wrought with anguish. Calvin has locked her out of the house and threatened to flush her homework down the drain, literally.

Rosalyn make very little appearances in Calvin & Hobbes, and so it's quite difficult to characterize her. We do know that she has a boyfriend named "Charlie", who Calvin on one occasion advises, "Rosalyn would make a bad mother! She hates kids!"

Calvin's Wagon

Calvin’s wagon is a simple device to add some physical comedy to the strip, and it is most often used when Calvin gets longwinded or philosophical. It often leads a silly counterpoint to the text and sometimes the wagon ride even acts as a metaphor for Calvin’s topic of discussion.

Calvin rides the wagon through the woods, bouncing off rocks and flying over ravines. Calvin’s woods is important to the strip, because it’s the placewhere Calvin and Hobbes can get away from everyone and be themselves. The solitude of the woods brings out Calvin’s small, but redeeming, contemplative side.

GROSS

The Get Rid Of Slimy girlS club is based on similar clubs Watterson formed when he was a kid. Calvin is the Dictator-for-Life for the club and has appointed Hobbes as his First Tiger. His mission is to harass neighbourhood girls like Susie, Very often Calvin and Hobbes would hold "meetings" in their tree-house to discuss matters such as why girls are so disgusting and plans to get Susie soaked with a water balloon.

Dinosaurs

The dinosaurs in Calvin and Hobbes have become one of Watterson's favourite additions to the strip. Dinosaurs have appeared in many strips before Calvin and Hobbes, but Watterson feels that he has treated them with a little more respect than they’ve often received at the hands of cartoonists.

Watterson shares the same fascination with dinosaurs as Calvin when he was a little kid. The dinosaurs in Calvin and Hobbes have expanded Calvin’s world and opened up some exciting graphic possibilities.

"The biggest reward for me however, has been the fun I’ve had exploring a new interest. I enjoy dinosaurs more now than I did as a kid, and much of the job of being a cartoonist lies in keeping alive a sense of curiosity and wonder. Sometimes the best way to generate new ideas is to go out and learn something", says Watterson.

The Transmogrifier

Calvin’s transmogrifier sums up the spirit of the strip. A cardboard box becomes a series of great inventions with little imagination. The transmogrifier shows the kind of kid Calvin is, and it added a new dimension to the strips' world.

Calvin at School

Calvin hates going to school. It is a place where he has to face Susie and not to mention the school bully, Moe. He often gets into trouble with his teacher-cum-space-monster-alien Miss Wormwood and landing up in the principal's office is rather common for poor Calvin.