The ambiguous ending solidifies the cartoon’s legacy. In the final strip, the protagonist wakes up alone. His apartment is clean. The bills are paid. There is a half-eaten breakfast on the table—evidence of another person. He looks out the window, and for the first time, he does not see a rainbow or a fantasy, but a neighbor struggling with a trash bag. The final panel is a close-up of his face, not smiling, but quietly, painfully present. The implication is devastating: Amanda was never the dream. The dream was the capacity to be satisfied with reality.
While less commercially known than "Fade to Grey," this piece is a cult favorite among fashion historians. It captures the exact moment when music videos became a legitimate art form. amanda a dream come true cartoon by steve strange top