He was born in Lewisham, London, on 22 November 1924. He was a land worker during the Second World War, and afterwards studied at Southport School of Art with Frank Hampson. He joined Hampson's studio working on Dan Dare for the Eagle, specialising in airbrush work. He was sacked during the second storyline for objecting to the long work hours Hampson demanded, and worked in advertising for a couple of years before returning in 1955, and worked for Hampson alongside Don Harley and Joan Porter until the studio was disbanded in 1959 after Odhams Press took over the paper. After that he wrote scripts for the strip, with Frank Bellamy and Harley drawing for the first year, and Harley and Bruce Cornwell after that. He left in 1962 and returned to drawing at TV Century 21, working on "Lady Penel