Rory Root Is Out Smoking

Honestly that is how I will always remember Rory.

We figured out that we had met when I was in college at UC Berkeley.  I had moved to a North side apartment and was working at a Copymat just down the block from him so I start going to Comic Relief  It turned out to be a pretty great store even back in the late 80s.  They did pull lists which I never had seen before and the staff was good about recommending books.  So I would go in every week and Rory said that we probably talked to each other a lot.  After all we were both Legion fans.

I really didn't become friends with him I started working in TV.  I had started up a relationship with Warren Ellis and that of course meant becoming part of his online community.   So I was trawling for interesting books for possible kids  shows.  I got some decent suggestions and some TERRIBLE ones, Then I got an email from this retailer, Rory Root.  He wanted to know if I would be coming to San Diego.   When I got there I started what would be come the other constant in my relationship with him.  Rory pulls out stacks of books  but before he lets me look he check to make sure if this would be my money or the companies.  Then he smoothly seperated me from said money and replaced it with great books, all the while making sure I would stop to be introduced to creators that ALWAYS stopped by to say hi to him.  He was always ready to talk about any kind of reading material or new show he just got into.  But the guy was never rude.  He always made everyone around him feel welcome.

He knew everybody.  He knew every comic shop I ever went to and the owners.  He knew the staff of I think the top 40 comic companies.  From the president down to the guy who got coffee. 

Anyway, I would always make an effort to talk to Rory whenever I was in the Bay or at a Con.  I was pretty quick to catch on that as often as he was at the booth helping someone find some new book, he would be standing just outside a door smoking and talking to someone about something.  So at the big cons I would usually
 start outside then head to his booth.  Hell after a while I would just always volunteer to help set up.  Didn't care if I had meetings the rest of the day or not.  We had a ritual of always buying each other  an egg sandwich at the start of APE.  Or discussing the best place to grab some food during the day.  He would always know the gossip on the floor but he would never talk shit about anyone...although he could make it clear when he didn't approve of something.

When I was finally talked into doing a comic, he was the first guy I talked to.  He always had a minute for my stupid ass questions and two or three ideas about how to get the sales up.  He once gave a me a pretty long talking to about opportunities I could take to get the book out there but totally was sympathetic about events in my life that were interfering.  When that turned around and he was having problems with his store I didn't hesitate to throw any help I could his way cause I know he would have for me, but would never ask me otherwise.

I can't lie.  I am really broken up about his passing because he was always there.  I always thought I would be lifting his heavy ass shelves for APE, debating whether Levitz would ever make us both happy and put out the Legion archives of his run, eating egg sandwiches and talking about up and coming creators.  I just thought I would always have time with that friend.  Now he is gone and the last thing I said was that I would call him in a week and I forgot to get back to him.

And I am pretty sure he didn't mind that I forgot.  I hope he at least went out thinking about something fun.

Rest In Peace Rory.