Gray Jolliffe is a British illustrator and cartoonist whose distinctive humour and visual style have made him a recognisable figure in British publishing and popular culture.
Born Graham Jolliffe in 1937, he studied at The King’s School in Peterborough before beginning his creative career in advertising. He first worked as a copywriter on Fleet Street, but soon moved into illustration and cartooning, where his sharp wit and lively drawing style found a natural home.
Jolliffe is best known as the co-creator and illustrator of the Wicked Willie books, written with Peter Mayle, which became a publishing phenomenon in the 1980s. His work also includes the Chloe & Co cartoons for the Daily Mail, illustrations for Terry Pratchett’s The Unadulterated Cat, and collaborations on the Easy Peasy People series with Roger Hargreaves.
In 1997, he was named Cartoonist of the Year, recognising a career built on observation, timing and a gift for turning everyday absurdity into memorable images.
For Peterborough, Gray Jolliffe’s story adds a playful and creative strand to the legacy of The King’s School: a former pupil whose imagination, humour and draughtsmanship reached audiences across the country.