Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Image | Tagged: Elena Salcedo, rip, top cow

Elena Salcedo, Top Cow VP, Has Died. Those Who Knew Her, Pay Tribute

Elena Salcedo, longstanding employee at Top Cow, and Vice President of Operations has died. Those who knew her in comics are paying tribute.

Published Sat, 24 Aug 2024 17:29:08 -0500

by Rich Johnston

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Elena Salcedo started volunteering with Top Cow in the summer of 2006 before becoming an assistant in 2007. She was promoted to Director of Operations in 2010, and to Vice President of Operations in 2017, as well as working as Editor on a number of titles, including the current Witchblade comic. At the time, CEO and Top Cow Founder Marc Silvestri said "Elena has gone above and beyond during the course of her seven years. She is one of the true unsung heroes of Top Cow. We are very lucky and very thankful to have her. And Top Cow President Matt Hawkins said, "I'd be lost without Elena to help manage our schedule and oversee a lot of the day-to-day operations of the company. I've watched her grow as a manager and executive and am proud to give her this much-deserved promotion in the company. I'm looking forward to my eventual retirement so she can take over for me." That didn't happen. Elena Salcedo died on Thursday night, the 22nd of August.

Top Cow shared the tragic news online, saying, "We received the devastating news that our beloved Top Cow family member and cherished friend Elena Salcedo left us peacefully. She had a profound impact on our company and on all of us who had the privilege of working alongside her. To know Elena was to love her, and she will forever be in our hearts. Our condolences to her family, friends, and partner Dan Petersen. Our Elena devoted her life to this company – Her commitment and tireless work ethic were evident from the moment she joined us over 15 years ago. Elena left a lucrative job in New York to follow her dream of being around creative people, working in comics, and moving to Los Angeles. A brave and adventurous choice, driven by her passion. A passion that was infectious and made every one of us a little better. Over the years, she became more than just a team member; she became the heart and soul of Top Cow. But beyond her professional achievements, we remember Elena for the person she was. She was always there to offer a helping hand and encouraging words so that we didn't forget the heavy responsibility that we had to our fans and our creators. Elena was the same with her friends and the Top Cow Community. From Conventions to Kickstarter backers, Elena never let an opportunity pass to let someone know they were heard. Her empathy towards others was on full display in every interaction, touching those around her. Her laugh, her wisdom, and her generosity will be missed by all. Because she has so touched all of our lives and has imprinted in our souls, instead of a goodbye, we want to say to her "Rest in peace, and we will see you in the reboot. You have left an indelible mark on all of us, and we have a lot more work to do together."

She is survived by her partner, Daniel Petersen, Senior Director at Skybound. Those who knew her and worked with her have been paying tribute on social media.

Marc Silvestri: Top Cow has lost a beloved member of the family. Our hearts may be broken but her love will always keep them full. We love you Elena, rest in peace.

Matt Hawkins: In 2010, during the messy chaos I caused with my first divorce, I distinctly remember Elena coming to me at perhaps the peak of my self-loathing and asking me if I was okay. She may not even remember that, but it meant everything to me at the time. Some years later, at a convention, I remember her saying she had a lot of ideas and that I should listen to her. I'd never had someone approach me that way and it was before the whole #visiblewoman movement. She and I fought at times and some of our arguments are quite memorable, but I did listen…and she was usually right. She changed corporate policy, editorial direction and went from being an intern to a VP and one of the most influential women to ever work in comics. I hear you, Elena. I always did. You are the most visible woman I've ever known. You were one of the few continuities I've had in the last two decades. You encouraged my writing, championed me to be guest at so many conventions and even made me begrudgingly entertained by wrestling. Your impact will always be felt.

Arune Singh: Comics lost a special one this week. Love to @petersen_daniel
and all of Elena's loved ones. She was truly 1/1.

Siya Oum: I can't believe this. She was the sweetest person. I loved hearing her laugh. It was comforting to see her when I'd walk past the Top Cow booth at conventions, never hesitating to chat with her for a few moments. I will truly miss her. My heart goes out to the TC family.

Raffaele Ienco: Oh no! I worked with Elena on many Top Cow books, she was always pleasant, kind and great. So sorry to hear this.

Matt Cohen: Rest in peace friend Elena was the first person I ever met at a comic convention and convinced me to stay in line at a Jay Mewes signing, which changed my life forever. Everyone who knew her dug her, and she knew everyone. Rest easy

Richard Starkings: Whenever I spent time with Elena and Dan, there was always SO MUCH laughter and love for comics you could not help but love Elena Salcedo she was the best.

Jon Moisan: Absolutely heartbreaking. Elena was always a highlight at every convention I saw her at and she'll be deeply missed.

Phillip Sevy: Elena was one of the best humans and I'll deeply miss my friend and family member. Devastated and heartbroken by this loss.

Siike Donnelly: Awful to hear this news. Elena, I only knew for a short time, but in that time, she made a positive impact. Hard worker. Kind. Generous. Informative. Helpful. A great person and friend. RIP, Elena.

Eva Jarkiewicz: There are people in this world who make more of a difference than they can ever understand. Elena was just that kind of person. I looked forward to Friday afternoons for our weekly calls to chat comics, movies & our lives. She was there for me when I needed a friend.

Shawn DePasquale: Devastating news. Elena was always so kind and supportive. She never failed to find me at a comic con and say hello or ask what I was working on. Her passion for the industry was unmatched. Rest in Peace, Elena.

Shawn Kirkham: Elena will forever be in our hearts."

Filip Sablik: "The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and you have burned so very very brightly." Thursday night, we lost Elena Salcedo. It is cosmically unfair to have Elena taken from us so suddenly and unexpectedly. Danielle and I lost a dear, dear friend. The comic industry lost a fierce, brilliant behind-the-scenes executive. Matt, Marc, Bridget, Phil, and the rest of Top Cow (past and present) lost a central member of their family. Dan lost his partner and his heart. One of the greatest gifts for anyone in a position of leadership is being lucky enough to spot talent. I met Elena when she volunteered with a friend at the Top Cow booth at New York Comic-Con right after I started working for the company. She ran circles around every other volunteer with her dedication and efficiency. She was so spectacular that very quickly we started flying her to other shows to help us run the booth. I told her if she ever found herself out in LA, I would find a way to hire her. And because Elena rarely did things in half measure, she moved out to LA and before long I hired her to run Top Cow's webstore. At the end of the day, it's hard to describe what Elena did for Top Cow and what her role was there, because over time the honest answer was – everything. From unpaid volunteer to Vice President of the company, Elena was the living embodiment of what you can accomplish with passion, hard work , and ingenuity.As a teammate Elena was amazing, but it paled in comparison to her loyalty and generosity if you were lucky enough to call her friend. She was honest and real, and gave the absolute best hugs. She was always there when you needed her. Her laugh was magic.She was tiny, but full of more life and fight and love than almost anyone I've ever met. Truly she was one of a kind.I'm so grateful to Dan for reaching me and giving me the gift of sharing some final precious moments with Elena. Elena and I both thought we had more time together. We'd make plans to make plans & then life would get in the way.Please, don't defer time with the people you love. Tell them you love them loudly & unapologetically. Make time and space for them today rather than tomorrow. Because none of our time on Earth is promised."

Ramon Villalobos: Devastating news. Was fortunate to spend time around Elena and the family of comics people she had around her at cons. Special memories. Just cant believe this. RIP.

Dan Wickline: Elena was amazing.

Tony Fleecs: This feels completely unfair. Elena was really wonderful.

Nelson Blake: Absolutely devastating news. Elena was the best. Rest in peace. Damn.

Jeremy Haun: We lost a dear friend this week.
I'm going to be honest…I'm not good at this.
I've started and stopped this more times than I can count over the last several days.
But I need to say something. Because Elena was wonderful and comics aren't going to shine quite as bright without her.
I met Elena Salcedo when I first started working for Top Cow. She was volunteering at the time. I was new to the company and figuring things out. She came up with this warm smile and immediately made me feel at home. From then on, we were pals.
Elena did this thing– when you were one of her people, she fought hard for you. When I was out of my depth at a MASSIVE signing for BERSERKER, she was right there and made everything run just a bit smoother. It was the little things– a joke, a smile.
Elena was also wonderful to my boys. She and her partner Dan would come by and we'd all talk about the Lego sets we were building– which ones we were wanting to buy– how we were running out of space for all of them.
Elena went from being a volunteer at Top Cow to the Vice President of the company. She was the embodiment of working hard for the thing you love. And that's the thing– she was the damned heart of the company.
I'm going to miss seeing Elena at conventions. I'm going to miss catching up. I'm going to miss her amazing laugh and those truly warm, genuine hugs.
I'm so very grateful that, thanks to my good friend Filip, I had the opportunity to Facetime with Elena before she was gone.
I got to tell her that I love her. Even then I didn't get to tell her everything that she meant to me.
I didn't say goodbye. I couldn't.
Moments before I hung up, and absolutely lost it, I said "Talk to you soon."
I don't really know what that means.
But I couldn't say goodbye.
We lost Elena Salcedo Thursday night. She was taken so very quickly and far too soon.
She's free of all this. But we are so much poorer for it.
Hold those that you love close, my friends. Tell them how much they mean to you.
Think I'm going to go do just that right now.

Tini Howard:Heartbreaking to hear of her passing. What a smart, incisive, hardworking person she was – the Cow without her will always feel changed. rest well, Elena, you earned it

Marc Bernadin: Gonna miss her deeply…

Whilce Portacio: Our hearts are broken…thinking of her…