Conrad Sebastian Hauser was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. Conrad was a gifted artist as a child, a talent nurtured by his father, Max, and his ailing mother, Constance. His mother succumbed to cancer, leaving Conrad to be raised by Max alone. In addition to being an artist himself, Max was an ardent pacifist, and would take part in protests against the U.S. government's use of military force abroad.