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What would Comic-Con week be without some comings and goings? The Beat can reveal that Harley Salbacka has joined Tiny Onion as Community and Events Manager where she’ll work under Communications Director Jazzlyn Stone. Tiny Onion founder James Tynion IV worked with Salbacka at her previous gig at Boom, and she “wildly impressed” him, he says. “Her incredible relationships with fans, retailers, and librarians all over the country speaks for itself. I couldn’t be more excited to have her onboard as we get ready for Tiny Onion’s next big moves as a company.” 

Tiny Onion oversees Tynion’s popular publishing activities, but also works as an independent production house, and says it has “aggressive plans” across the publishing, film, television, and animation industries. Salbacka is Tiny Onion’s ninth employee in just seven months, joining the original four – CEO Tynion, Eric Harburn as Director of Editorial, Courtney Menard as Director of Production, and Stone – and a second wave that included Antonio Guanaes as Executive Assistant, DeAna Avila as Production Manager, Steve Foxe as Editor, and Greg Lockard as Talent Manager.  

Salbacka is a ten year comics veteran, an alum of the Disney College Program Entertainment Marketing Internship, who studied dance at UCI. She worked in sales for both Boom and Humanoids prior to joining Tiny Onion.


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Meanwhile, Mad Cave Studios has promoted Kurt Nelson from Director of Sales to Executive Vice President (EVP) of Sales. Nelson joined the Mad Cave team in 2022, and in his new role will oversee sales strategy and execution.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead our outstanding sales team in this new capacity,” said Nelson in a statement. “I am committed to continuing our momentum and exploring new avenues for growth.”

“Kurt Nelson’s promotion to Executive Vice President of Sales underscores his pivotal role in driving Mad Cave Studios’ growth and success,” said Mark London, CEO and Chief Creative Officer. “His foresight and expertise have been instrumental in expanding our reach and enhancing our industry relationships. With huge new Mad Cave initiatives on the way, Kurt’s perfectly placed to deliver outstanding results both for our audiences and for our partners.”


As long as we’re doing comings and going, some old news that deserves mention: Jacq Cohen, formerly the public face of Fantagraphics,  has joined Tapas Entertainment as director of PR and marketing, where she will work on growing the market for Korean webcomics in the US. I don’t think anyone had that move on their bingo card, but it does suggest that Tapas – which is owned by Korean corporation Kakao – will be stepping up their US marketing efforts.

Jacq Cohen brings over 18 years of experience in the comics publishing industry, having worked with prestigious organizations such as Fantagraphics Books, Dark Horse Comics, and Top Shelf Productions. Her extensive background in communications, media relations, event strategy, and social media, particularly in the comics publishing industry, makes her an invaluable asset to Tapas.

“Joining Tapas Entertainment is an exciting new chapter in my career,” explains Jacq Cohen. “I am honored to be on the front line of the KComics movement and to have the opportunity to contribute to the growth and evolution of the comics medium. Tapas has already established itself as a pioneering platform, and I look forward to helping bring our unique content to an even broader audience in the English-speaking world.”

“We are thrilled to have Jacq Cohen join our team,” said Jayden Kang, VP of Global Story Business at Kakao Entertainment. “Her expertise and passion will be crucial in bringing Tapas content to the forefront of the U.S. comics market. We are confident that her leadership will drive significant growth.”

Cohen’s replacement at Fanta was less of a surprise: Tucker Stone has joined them as Executive Director of Communications & Marketing. Stone was formerly the co-editor of TCJ.com and has worked at Astra, Consortium and NoBrow after bursting on the comics scene back as a commentator back in the blogger days.

Good luck to Jacq and Tucker in their new positions.


Alas, there have also been goings, most notably at Boom, where layoffs in the sales and marketing departments were announced internally immediately after after the company was acquired by PRH. Salbacka was among those who were cut, but Manny Castellanos, formerly sales coordinator, tweeted that he was departing. 

Yesterday was my last day at BOOM! Which now means I am actively looking for work! If anyone knows of any publishers that are looking for a sales rep, please let me know!

Good luck to all.