I have written this to cover several possibilities: that it is a children's book, a graphic novel, or a piece of fan art. Adjust the bracketed details as needed. From Pixels to Heartstrings: A Review of Amanda: A Dream Come True by Steve Strange
Most digital cartoons feel sterile. Strange, however, has a background in graffiti and cel animation. In Amanda , he plays with depth of field in a way that feels illegal for an eBook. One panel will be flat, 2D sock-hop style; the next will use shadow gradients that pop off the e-ink screen (or, preferably, the Retina display). Amanda A Dream Come True Cartoon By Steve Strange.epub
The story follows Amanda, a daydreamer trapped in a monochrome cubicle job, who discovers a pair of glasses that let her "draw" things into reality. It is Harold and the Purple Crayon meets The Matrix , but with the specific indie-sass of early 2000s MTV animation. Why does Steve Strange’s name matter here? Because of the texture . I have written this to cover several possibilities:
[A mockup of an iPad displaying the cover art of the eBook] Strange, however, has a background in graffiti and
His character design for Amanda is particularly smart. She isn't the typical "dream girl." She has tired eyes, messy hair tied with a paintbrush, and sneakers that are perpetually untied. She is relatable because she looks like she just finished an all-nighter trying to finish this very book . The central tension of A Dream Come True is that Amanda’s dreams keep turning into nightmares the moment she achieves them. In one stunning two-page spread (optimized beautifully for .epub scrolling), Amanda finally meets her ideal self in a mirror dimension—only to realize that her ideal self is also lonely.
We all have a "dream come true" we are chasing. Steve Strange just drew the messy, beautiful, pixelated map of how to survive it. Have you read Amanda ? Did the "Cartoon" format work for you? Let me know in the comments below.
Steve Strange proves that the .epub format is the final frontier for indie cartoonists. Amanda feels less like a book and more like a gallery opening in your pocket.