Zhang Guangyu (1900-1965) was a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. From 1918 on, Zhang studied in Shanghai and designed advertising for the Nanyang Tobacco Company, the British American Tobacco Company and others. He designed covers for Shanghai Cartoons (Shanghai manhua 上海漫画) and other journals in 1928-1929. He went to Hong Kong in 1937, and spent most of the Anti-Japanese War period there and in West China. He was very active in cartoon artists' organizations, and produced the famous anti-Guomindang cartoon series Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西游记) in 1945. 

Zhang was head of the Decorative Art Department of the Central Art Academy from 1949-1963, and held several other high positions. He was the chief cartoonist for the cartoon film based on the original Journey to the West.