In 1952, Philip Sansom invited Rooum to draw a regular cartoon strip for "The Syndicalist" and he contributed "Scissor Bill". The name derived from an IWW name for a bosses' yes-man. From 1960, his cartoons started appearing in such outlets as "She", "The Daily Mirror", "Private Eye" and "The Spectator". Rooum has had a long relationship, with interruptions, with "Peace News", his first work appearing for them in 1962. Originals of his cartoons for "Peace News" up to 1971, together with some for "The Spectator", are stored at the British Cartoon Archive.