[1] He first submitted work to his local newspaper alongside art school mate Robert Nixon.
[2] After his National Service he obtained work for DC Thomson drawing his own strip Babes and Bullies for The Dandy Annual.
His sister in the comic strip was called Sue Helen who, in contrast to her brother, was a decent, charming and helpful person.
Being chalk-and-cheese characters meant that JR and Sue Helen's sibling rivalry extended into all-out conflict.
He left DC Thomson in 2007, leaving Billy Whizz without an artist for two years, until Nick Brennan took over in October 2009.