[.ca] Pushing 40 (ISBN 0836218078)

Of the 20+ FBOFW collections, this is my favorite:
"Pushing 40" was the eighth For Better or For Worse collection, and is made up of strips from approximately mid-1987 through mid-1988. While the present-day strip is the first thing I read when I turn to the comics page in the morning, I personally prefer the more humorous style Lynn Johnston employed in these early strips. There are so many great moments in this collection, like Michael using green food coloring on his face for Halloween, then having to go to school the next day with a green face because the food coloring won't wash off, the wedding of Elly's brother Phil (This was, unfortunately, pretty much the end of Phil as a regular in the strip), John's misadventure with a dumpster while on his way to the aforementioned wedding, Michael showing Elizabeth how she can get more money from the tooth fairy (Run for your life, Lizzie!), John salivating over a sports car (and trying to convince Elly that it's practical), Michael and Gordon's experiment involving a spider and a microwave oven (Elly rescues the spider, sort of), and the remodeling of the Patterson family kitchen. This collection also features my personal favorite FBOFW storyline: Michael, Gordon, Brian and one other boy are up in a tree, with a perfect view of Lawrence's stepsister's bedroom. They wrestle with their consciences until (to their utter disappointment) the shade goes down. Michael says, "Come on! Let's get outa here before somebody sees us!!," and starts to climb down the tree. Lawrence's stepsister is standing at the base of the tree, glaring up at him. Scrambling back up the tree, Michael asks his friends if any of them know the Lord's Prayer. Contemplating their punishments, one of the boys remarks, "It would all be worth it, guys...if only we'd SEEN something!" Absolutely priceless! This collection also has its serious side, as when it explores our own mortality, with the death of an elderly family friend, Mrs. Baird (The Pattersons acquired Farley from Mrs. Baird approximately one year into the strip.) It's a touching and poignant sequence.