There, he met "Mali", a cartoonist who commissioned a number of paintings for the magazine's Deepavali special.
In the course of the next twenty or so years, till 1968, Gopulu did political cartoons, cover designs and illustrated columns for the magazine.
[3] As an illustrator, Gopulu worked on popular serials such as Thillana Mohanambal and Washingtonil Thirumanam.
Later, he quit advertising and began to work as a freelance illustrator for magazines such as Kalki, Amudhasurabhi, Vikatan and Kungumam.
In 2001 he was honoured with the lifetime achievement award as part of the inaugural function of the Indian Institute of Cartoonists in Bangalore.