Born in New York City in 1951, Peter Blegvad moved with his family to England when he was in his teens. He formed the musical group Slapp Happy with Anthony Moore and Dagmar Krause. In recent years, he has recorded solo and in various collaborations, including with the Golden Palominos and frequent collaborator John Greaves.

As a cartoonist, he is best known for his strips "Leviathan" and "The Pedestrian" which were published in the "Independent on Sunday" newspaper in England.