Animation & Illustration

Ezra Dorran

A large robot kneels beside a tiny person in a red outfit, set against a dramatic, fiery sky.

This image depicts the cover for my graphic novel, "Lifeform 401". Featuring a large mech contrasted with the small protagonist, Sirius.

Originally a creative writer, I was introduced to animation and illustration through the desire to see my characters and engage with them in new ways. As a result, the beginning of my process starts with a written story from which characters and themes become a core of everything I draw.

As a lifelong science fiction fan, I was more than thrilled with the opportunity to start my first long form work in the shape of Lifeform 401, using inspiration from my favourite media to help shape a story discussing class division in an intergalactic adventure setting.

I hope that one day people will engage with my work as I have with others, that I might inspire and help open perspectives and possibilities that some may have never considered but in the meantime, I am currently looking for any work in the publishing industry!


Lifeform 401 is a sci-fi graphic novel with horror elements and an emphasis on trans-humanism exploration. As the sum of many topics that I am passionate about, I had a great time scripting and developing its core characters, Aster and Sirius.

The work was originally drawn out traditionally before being scanned into the digital for colouring, dialogue and further adjustments, this process allowed me to retain much of my raw linework leading to a far truer representation of my work and myself in the end.

I had a lot of fun working on 401 so I hope you enjoy reading it!

A man in an orange sweater poses confidently, with text bubbles saying, "Whatever. I just think management is lazy."
A man smiling and waving at their reflection in a mirror, creating a playful and cheerful scene.
A man in an orange outfit explores a cave, holding a flashlight. Speech bubbles express surprise about a large object, mentioning "Aster."
Comic strip showing a concerned man talk to another about trusting Laika's guidance, while a large creature approaches, causing tension and surprise.
Comic strip of a man in an orange outfit walking through a desert landscape, contemplating a contract and longing for home comforts.
A man stands beside a large, bird-like robot with angular features and glowing accents.
This is a sample of a complete page This is an incomplete page, helping to demonstrate my process in developing the graphic novel A complete page showing one of the protagonists of the story, Sirius A complete page showing a back and forth as well as a sequence of action between the protagonists, Aster and Sirius A complete page showing a character-building sequence An alternate cover for the graphic novel