He was one of the original artists at the National Film Board of Canada where he worked for many years before launching a successful freelancing career.
[4] His professional life began by contributing to the Hudson's Bay's company magazine and submitting cartoons to Macleans.
He was with the Signal Corps security and intelligence group producing training posters and film strips.
He recounted that during this period, on a trip to New York for training with the U.S. Signal Corps, he met Charles Addams who had just begun to sell cartoons to The New Yorker.
[6] In 1948 he began a regular cartoon feature for Maclean's magazine, Jasper the Bear, which would prove to be his most famous and enduring creation.
His most famous creation was the cartoon Jasper the Bear[14] which appeared in Maclean's magazine for over 20 years and became popular across Canada.
[23][24] This larger-than-life Jasper, a live person in a costume, had his picture taken hugging Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
[25] In 1968 a seven-year-old Ottawa boy was being sent to Boston's Children's Hospital Medical Centre for corrective heart surgery paid for by private charity.
In a gesture of encouragement Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau gave the boy a picture with the words "A thousand best wishes".