Ave Messer

Kara Avalynn Messer is a writer and the founder of Karabear Comics. She is the orchestrator behind its overarching continuity, a self-appointed Editor-in-Chief, grand poobah, whatever. Currently the only writer and, in fact, the only permanent member of the company, so she can call herself whatever she pleases until somebody else comes on full time. It might also be evident from this that she wrote this bio.

Early life
Ave was born Karl Abraham Messer in Lone Pine, California on August 21, 1984 as the second child in what would become a four-child family. After a short time living in Shoshone, California, the family moved to Anderson, California, and Ave's two younger siblings were born in Redding, California. Ave went by "Abe" at the time and went to Kindergarten at Anderson Heights Elementary School before the family moved again, this time into Redding. Ave finished grade school in Redding, going to Cypress Elementary School, Sequoia Middle School and Shasta High School. During this time she weathered her parents' divorce, broken legs, depression, self-imposed social isolation, and the Macarena craze (seriously, what was up with that?).

College
When her mom moved to Eureka, California, Ave and her two younger siblings went with her. Ave enrolled in College of the Redwoods, applying as an English major. Her intent was to be a teacher, but she kept her eye on the Creative Writing classes--her true passion. After two years of mainly General Education classes, as well as beginning to actually be called "Ave", Ave began classes at Humboldt State University--just as the family again moved to Arcata, California. At Humboldt State, Ave finished her Bachelor of Arts in English, Language Arts pathway, still trying to go for a teaching credential. In the process, she very nearly attained a minor in Creative Writing.

After graduation
The US economy soured shortly after Ave graduated college and she had to move back to the Redding area, and lived with her dad for a year before staking out a bit on her own. She began networking with artists online, having abandoned the idea of getting a teaching credential (Redding not being a place where education above community college is readily accessible). In 2011, she was able to obtain an artist for a story, which was posted online before becoming a part of Gold Comics #1. She hopes to press forward and begin releasing the main Karabear comics in 2012, even if she has to draw the first issue herself.

Ave appeared in Karabear Comics Unlimited #1 as part of an extra, mentioning how it could be a regular thing. She also introduced Kara Bear, indicating the version shown in the comic is on an alternate Earth and just a close facsimile to the real version.

Works and influence
Ave's favorite author is Kurt Vonnegut, though she would never say she writes in that vein. One extremely kind commenter said her work reminded him of Neil Gaiman, and she smiled and silently disagreed. However, never really having read Neil Gaiman, she couldn't officially refute it.

Ave has so far written "Madame's Night Out", which appeared in Gold Comics #1, as well as a little nothing of a webcomic called Comfortably Numb that she tried her hand at in college, informing her of her shortcomings in gag-a-day (possibly comedy in general) and realistic fiction--at least as far as comics go. She has so far written the first two and a half months' worth of comics for the main universe across six titles, though she hopes some will be picked up by other writers eventually.

In Januay of 2012, she started Karabear Comics Unlimited, effectively starting the Karabear comics in force.

Early in her life, Ave was a fan of R.L. Stine (she outgrew it by the time middle school hit, thankfully), Terry Brooks (outgrown by high school), and J.R.R. Tolkien (never outgrown). Since college, she became a fan of Grant Morrison, Rachel Pollack, Alan Moore, Gail Simone, and other great comic writers.

Credits

 * Comfortably Numb - writer, artist
 * The Broken / Developing a Sense of Self - writer and coordinator, sometimes artist
 * Gold Comics - writer
 * "Forgotten Revelations" (from Lite bites)
 * Karabear Comics Unlimited regular and Special - writer, artist

Projects

 * Heroes Alliance: "What You Believe" - writer, one of the artists
 * Heroes Alliance Jam - originating artist/writer
 * Heroes Alliance #5 - artst (one page)
 * Trans Dimensional Trans Superheroes - writer and possible artist
 * Karabear Comics (primary universe) - writer, possibly one of the artists