Rory Root, the prominent comics retailer, the owner of Comic Relief, a believer in the notion of comics as a book publishing field and a general comics industry advocate passed away at an Oakland hospital shortly after 4 PM local time on May 19. Initial reports indicate he had slipped into a coma following surgery for a ruptured hernia. Root was 50 years old.

- from The Comics Reporter, continue here

Rory was hugely encouraging to me when I was a beginning cartoonist going to Comic Relief every day after high school (and sometimes during school). He bought me my first copy of Will Eisner’s A Contract with God and always had a new recommendation for me when I came in. He spent a lot of time talking with me about the industry, books he loved, and how I could become a professional cartoonist. He organized my first-ever signing at Comic Relief when I graduated high school. His support, expertise and friendship were invaluable to me and so many others.

He will be greatly missed.