Born in the year 1982 in the vibrant city of San Antonio, Texas, Ward, the youngest of three brothers, was raised by his devoted mother, Bettie Ward, an artist and daughter of a Texas oil rancher, who played a significant role in his life. Unfortunately, Ward never had the opportunity to meet his father. Growing up, he often spent his free time drawing flipbooks and comic books with his close friend Alex "the Logdog" Coates, which sparked his passion for art.
Ward's academic journey took him to CalArts, where he formed lasting bonds with fellow animators J.G. Quintel of Regular Show and Alex Hirsch of Gravity Falls. The trio would later collaborate on The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Prior to his success, Ward created a comic strip called Bueno the Bear in 2002, but unfortunately, he decided to withdraw publication the following year. Undeterred, he went on to create a short film called Barrista, featuring the character, and to this day, he uses the name for his social media profiles.
In 2008, Ward crafted a pilot for Adventure Time for Nickelodeon, but unfortunately, it was rejected. However, Cartoon Network took notice of his talent and picked up the project a year later, premiering it in 2010.
