John Morgan Man was born on 10 August 1948 at Batu Gadjah Hospital, near Ipoh, Kelantan, Malaya, the son of Frank Otto Stoe Man and his wife Sheila Allwynne Cran Reis.

John died on 15 October 2004 from cancer at Trinity Hospice, Clapham Common, Surrey.

John was educated at Marlborough House School, Hawkhurst, Kent and Milton Abbey School, Dorset. On leaving school he studied at the Bromley School of Art, Bromley, Kent which he soon left to attend the London School of Film Technique where he won several awards.

However he never pursued a career in art or film, instead opting to join several resistance movements which were centered around St Stephens Gardens in London.