He Youzhi (1922-2016) was from Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. He started as a printer's apprentice and primary school teacher. From 1946, he studied commercial art and in 1949, he started drawing comic strips. He joined the New Art Press (Xin meishu chubanshe 新美术出版社) in 1952, and was transferred to design comic strips with the Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House in 1956.

From 1980 till 1987, He was a Professor of pictorial stories at the Central Art Academy. He was known for his comic strips, including the influential Great Changes in a Mountain Village [山乡巨变].