Cartoonist George S. Wunder was born on April 12, 1912 in Manhattan, New York. Primarily self-taught, an early interest in becoming a professional cartoonist led him to take correspondence courses in drawing. By age twenty-four he found work as a staff artist for the Associated Press (AP), focusing on editorial cartoons and fiction short story illustration. 

From 1942 to 1946 Wunder served in World War II. On his return to the AP in 1946 he drew his first major strip, "See for Yourself," for AP Newsfeatures. That same year, famed cartoonist Milton Caniff left his popular adventure strip "Terry and the Pirates," one of the most popular syndicated strips in U.S. history. Wunder was among 100 cartoonists who applied for the job, and he was soon chosen as Caniff's replacement. Over the years, Wunder's own style developed "Terry and the Pirates" into something much different from Caniff's original idea. He depicted some of the characters as ugly or strange (including young women) and he filled the panels with distinct details that encouraged the reader to closely study each strip. Because of his technical skill and professionalism, these unusual stylistic choices were respected by and inspired many other cartoonists, ultimately helping to broaden the look of comic art. 

Wunder was a member of the Illustrators Club and the National Cartoonists Society. In 1963 he was awarded the Exceptional Service Award by the U.S. Air Force for his depiction of the strip's main character, Terry Lee, whose character arc developed into a patriotic Air Force captain. He had also developed a reputation as an exceptionally professional artist and mentor.

The popularity of "Terry and the Pirates" declined rapidly with the fallout of the Vietnam War, and Wunder retired in 1973, moving with his wife Mildred - fondly nicknamed "Mrs. Terry and the Pirates" - to Port St. Lucie, Florida. He remained there until his death on March 1, 2001.