 Hornschemeier was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1977 and raised in nearby rural Georgetown, Ohio.As a child he liked to draw, and after discovering his first Steve Ditko “Spider-Man” comic, he began creating his own comic books.While majoring in philosophy and psychology at The Ohio State University, Hornschemeier was introduced to the graphic novel "Ghost World" by Daniel Clowes and began exploring underground and literary comics.