Gary Cody was born in Lethbridge, Alberta in 1950, and grew up in Calgary. He attended the Alberta College of Art from 1970-1974 where he studied with John Hall and George Wood.

Between 1974-76, Cody lived in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where he worked on his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Saskatchewan. he studied with Otto Rogers and Mina Forsythe.
During the summer months, Cody created medical illustrations for the veterinary and medical schools at the university. This eventually turned into a full-time career at the University of Saskatchewan and Western Ontario University.

Cody worked as a medical illustrator until 1986. He took time out during 1980-81 to earn an MA in Visual Art from the University of Alberta, Edmonton. He moved to Vancouver in 1986, where he worked as a free-lance illustrator and computer animator.