20th May 2008 / Musings

Rory Root, owner of Comic Relief, has died.

Comic Relief bills itself as “THE Comic Book Store”, and that says pretty much all you need to know about Rory. He sold books; they just happened to be told in comic form.

Like all great booksellers, Rory was as enthusiastic about brave and creative new works as he was about guaranteed bestsellers. Every time I met him he had a new favourite book to recommend, and he was never wrong. He could pick a future classic from a thousand new books with unerring accuracy.

But more than that, Rory never tugged his forelock to comics’ detractors. He was proud to sell what he knew were great stories. He was militant about the need for freedom of press and artistry in the industry, arguing with authority and vehemence for comics’ validity as an artform, deserving of all the same protections and privileges as prose literature.

Rory held his head up high, and we were all proud to hold ours up right alongside him. His voice, his presence, his knowledge and most of all his kindness will be sadly missed.

 

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