Onions on the Road

The Tiny Onion brand has become synonymous with impressive storytelling with Eisner-award winning titles such as Something is Killing the Children, Wynd, and Department of Truth, in addition to the recently nominated series Everything Dead and Dying and the blockbuster series, Exquisite Corpses. 

This small-but-mighty production company (made of ‘Onions’ as they call themselves) takes their commitment to changing the landscape of the comic book industry seriously, especially when it comes to their fans. 

Started in 2024 from the mind of Eisner-Award winning comic book writer, James Tynion IV, Tiny Onion (a play on Tynion’s name) has already made its mark in just a few years.

Founder, James Tynion IV. Photo credit: Nicholas Nichols.

Comics industry enthusiasts have likely followed hires of top-tier talent and appreciated how intentional each hire has been. The Tiny Onion team isn’t just setting a new standard in storytelling, but also in its inclusiveness.

When it comes to connecting with the comic book community, Onions travel thousands of miles, sort through tons of logistics to attend more than 20 conventions annually around the US and internationally, as well as put in countless hours to make magic happen. Leading the charge for fan-focused initiatives is Events and Libraries Manager, Harley Salbacka.

Salbacka’s passion for comics isn’t limited to her love of sequential art storytelling but creating new fans. “I ran a comic shop six days a week for five years and I enjoyed helping people fall in love with comics,” said Salbacka. “People would come into the shop who had never read a comic and I got to find things that I knew they would resonate with.”

After her comic shop days, Salbacka worked at Humanoids and then BOOM! Studios followed by joining the Tiny Onion team in 2024.

“I first met James when I was at BOOM! Studios and I had crafted a private Q&A for him for ALA [American Library Association] and I was so passionate because I wanted to highlight him as a creator since he’s so talented,” said Salbacka. “He has always been open to ideas. All he asks is if you think you can do your idea, and if you say you can, he'll reply, ‘Great. Let’s try it!’”

Onions span across the entire United States—which adds another layer of complexity when it comes to coordinating James Tynion IV’s appearance at conventions such as C2E2 in the Midwest US, New York Comic Con on the East Coast, and Emerald City Comic Con on the West Coast. (And this doesn’t take into account the recent Exquisite Corpse tour which had Tynion going to multiple locations such as Austin, Texas.)

If Tynion is at an event, you can bet an Onion is likely there to ensure the experience is seamless. Some events may consist of merchandise from the Tiny Onion brand and others are full productions with complex booth displays, require coordination with distributors, and demands being ready to greet thousands of fans.

Events and Libraries Manager at Tiny Onion, Harley Salbacka. Photo credit: Nicholas Nichols.

“We plan about a year out, and schedules for conventions are often finalized weeks out with lots of systems—but I’m someone who loves systems. We also have a great team,” said Salbacka.

Anyone who has attended a convention knows those days are long. For staff who manage a booth, they likely have been at the event multiple days in advance preparing for guests.

When the show finally starts, logistics may be sorted, but keeping the team motivated and healthy is equally as important. New York Comic Con is a major event for the Tiny Onion team, and in 2025, NYCC reported having more than 250,000 attendees over four days.

“I do mother a bit at shows,” chuckles Salbacka. “I’m always asking the team if they have electrolytes, water, snacks, etc. And I have my fanny pack which is basically a small pharmacy of Advil, band-aids, and Vitamin C to keep people healthy.”

From beginning to end, event set up falls entirely on the Tiny Onion team. “Our booth display has grown to a 20 by 20 setup that is almost 20 feet tall, and we build the booth ourselves. We’ve got it down where we build the structure then split into teams,” said Salbacka. “Events take time, and people, and they’re about making magic happen for thousands of people–not just a few–but thousands.”

The Tiny Onion team clearly has no intention of slowing down as the production company has a number of titles optioned for film and tv as well as a board game based on the Exquisite Corpses franchise, and a novel from the Something is Killing the Children franchise. Not to mention, Tiny Onion has nine nominations for this year’s prestigious Eisner Awards.

“We are always wanting to go bigger and do something different and Tiny Onion being a creator owned queer company makes a difference.” When asked what Salbacka would tell herself prior to joining Tiny Onion, she said, “I would tell myself ‘you’re safe here–it’s okay to breathe and ask for what you need.’ I’ve worked in sales and marketing and even some production work and comics and this is still a male-dominated industry. It’s very common for women in the industry to face sexism, but at Tiny Onion there’s an understanding that everyone here has had some trauma [from bigotry] working in comics–which is why we all approach comics with kindness.”

Tiny Onion team. Photo credit: Nicholas Nichols.

Witnessing how the Tiny Onion team has grown while maintaining a commitment to its readers is nothing short of impressive. It’s clear the production company is a labor of love both within its team and its welcoming space for fans–which makes it easy to champion their success. 

For more details on signings with James Tynion IV and other esteemed writers who contribute to the Tiny Onion catalogue, be sure to visit https://tinyonion.com/ or follow Tiny Onion at @tinyonion. Just don’t forget to thank an ‘Onion’ on your next visit. You’ll be glad you did. 

More on Harley Salbacka

Salbacka is a renaissance woman. She has been working in multiple aspects of comics for nearly fifteen years. Starting out on the retail side running one of the premier comics shops in Los Angeles for five years. She helped people find great stories and provide actors with research for comic book related roles before crossing over to publishing. She first worked for Humanoids on their sales and marketing side, then moved to BOOM! Studios where she handled their book market, digital market, library market, as well as running booths at SDCC and ALA each year. For the last year and a half Harley has been having a blast running events and social media for Tiny Onion. 

You also may have seen or heard her voice on various comic book related shows and podcasts. An alum of the Disney College Program Entertainment Marketing Internship. She also studied early childhood development, dance, is a trained vocalist, and has a passion for great art and good stories.

Follow Harley Salbacka at @thecomicsgingerharley.

Events and Libraries Manager at Tiny Onion, Harley Salbacka. Photo credit: Donnie Seto.