A British stop motion animator, born in Oldham, Hicks spent his childhood in Burnley and Blackburn. He studied Graphic Design at Northumberland College in Ashington and Animation at West Surrey College of Art and Design in Farnham.

Employed as a prop maker at Cosgrove Hall Films in 2000, he undertook an in-house animation course at the company. Hicks first worked as an animator on Bill and Ben for Cosgrove Hall Films, and was employed by the business until 2009. During this period he worked on programmes Bill and Ben, Little Robots, Postman Pat, Fifi and the Flowertots, and Roary the Racing Car.

Hicks then worked as an animator at Chapman Entertainment from 2010 to 2013 on the series Fifi and the Flowertots, Roary the Racing Car, and Ra Ra the Noisy Lion. In 2013 he moved to Mackinnon and Saunders where his animation credits include Toby's Travelling Circus, The Twirlywoos, and Postman Pat SDS.