Ayers moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in 2000. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Communications from the St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. He also attended the Studio Art Centers International in Florence, Italy, the Academy of Communication Arts in Bloomington, Minnesota, and The Animation Academy in Burbank, California. More recently, he was a concept designer on the Marvel Comics adaptation The Incredible Hulk (2008) and a character designer on the upcoming action film Jonah Hex (2010).