Rory Root

Biography Root attended the University of California, Berkeley, studying computer science, but dropped out of school just before graduating in order to pursue retailing. At first he managed a gaming store on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley; after it closed he worked at Robert Beerbohm's comic book store, Best of Two Worlds, also on Telegraph Avenue.

Root's relatives had no prior retail experience and ran the store from afar. After Root's death, many long-time employees left and the store began to have cash flow problems. (Its 2005 move to a larger, more expensive, location, may have been a factor as well.), In December 2010, the store was basically bankrupt and was on the verge of closing its doors unless a new owner came in with a cash infusion.

Legacy In March 2011 it was announced that two separate comics retailers were opening to replace Comic Relief, one in its old location (Fantastic Comics) and one with the previous store's stock (The Escapist Comic Bookstore).

In popular culture Root was referenced in Jeff Smith's Bone, and his distinctive large cup of coffee was evoked in Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys.

Due to their physical resemblance, Root had also been rumored to be the inspiration for Matt Groening's Comic Book Guy, although Root dismissed that, saying "I first met Matt long, long ago I was quite a bit thinner and beardless." Groening has also noted that Comic Book Guy was partly inspired by a clerk at the Los Angeles Amok book shop who often "[sat]" on the high stool, kind of lording over the store...."