Paul Szep was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1941. He worked in steel mills and played semi-professional hockey while studying at the Ontario College of Art. After working as a cartoonist and illustrator with the Financial Post in Toronto, he joined the Boston Globe in 1967.

Szep was a strong opponent of the Vietnam War and his cartoons on Edward King, the governor of Massachusetts, resulted in him being sued for libel. Szep replied: "My goodness, a political cartoonist holding up a politician for ridicle. That's not libel, that's a job description." Szep won the Pulitzer Prize for cartooning in 1974 and 1977. He has produced several books of cartoons including