Austin was born in Palo Alto, California, to parents Harry and Lillian Peterson. He graduated from San Mateo Junior College in 1927. Soon afterwards, he began as a cartoonist (mostly sports-themed) for the local newspapers San Francisco Call, Oakland Post Enquirer and Los Angeles Herald. He was fired from the later one in November 1932 due to the Great Depression. Around March 1933, he switched field and started working in the radio business. First, he was a writer and producer for the radio show Blue Monday Jamboree, aired on the radio station KFRC San Francisco.