[1][2] His cartoons were published in Karnataka-based dailies and magazines such as the Deccan Herald, Prajavani, Mayura and Sudha.

He began his career as a cartoonist in Kidi, a Kannada-language newspaper known for its satirical writings, run by his friend Seshappa, who is credited with the discovery of his talent.

[1] Ramamurthy joined Deccan Herald in 1955 and invented the Mysore peta- and dhoti-clad "Mr. Citizen", a representative of the Indian middle-class man.

[4] The character became widely popular, and when he was portrayed without a peta for a while, angry letters were sent by the readers leading to Ramamurthy reverting to the previous version.

Speaking of the character's impact, former editor of Deccan Herald K. N. Harikumar recalled that readers identified with Mr. Citizen's "running commentary on life, its hypocrisies and the associated problems."