Ding Cong (1916-2009) was born in Fengjing, a township in greater Shanghai. His father was Ding Song (丁悚, 1891-1972), a renowned artist, poster designer and caricaturist. Ding started making cartoons around 1930, against the wish of his father who had a more lucrative career in mind for his son. During the War of Resistance against Japan, he participated in the activities of the Cartoon Propaganda Corps (漫画宣传队) and traveled from Shanghai to Wuhan, Chongqing and Hong Kong to stay ahead of the Japanese troops.

After the founding of the People's Republic Ding went to live in Beijing and became deputy editor of People's Pictorial (人民畫報). He was branded a Rightist in 1957, banished to Heilongjiang for three years and forbidden to publish cartoons and illustrations. In 1966 Ding was attacked again, and sent to a labor camp. Only in 1979 he was fully rehabilitated. Ding returned to Beijing and started making cartoons and illustrations again, often attacking corruption and censorship. He managed to avoid further troubles with the authorities and became very popular.

Around 1938 he used the pseudonym Xin Ke (辛克). After 1979 he signed his work as Xiao Ding (小丁, "Little Ding").