Chiodo was born on January 22, 1958, the youngest of four boys and raised in San Jose, California. He graduated from Andrew Hill High School in 1975.
He traveled to various places such as New York and Los Angeles, where he worked for a diverse client base, doing book covers, and other work for toy companies, games, and comics, eventually settling in San Diego.
Chiodo has been recognized as an award-winning pin-up artist and illustrator. He combines cartoony techniques with those of classic pin-up artists, often working on a range of body types and pulp themes. He illustrated the children's alphabet board book The Adventures of WonderBaby, and wrote a book, How To Draw And Paint Pin-Ups.
He has also had his works compiled in Works of Art: Joe Chiodo and Sketches, Drawings, and Paintings by Joe Chiodo, both of which were published by American publisher Hermes Press.
Chiodo currently works out of his home which he shares with his wife and two children.
