His very first job was apprentice woodworker at the Birmingham Railways Carriage & Wagon Co. at the age of 14.
He took over drawing the cover for The Dandy Comic, a job he would hold for the next 22 years. For 21 of those years (from 1966 to 1987), he also illustrated all the Dandy Annual's covers. He redesigned and drew Korky the Kat for 20 years.
He began drawing cartoons for local newspapers while he worked as a toolmaker in a factory.