John Linton Roberson (born in Kingstree, South Carolina, January 22, 1969), also known as JLRoberson, is an illustrator, cartoonist and writer, currently based in Seattle, Washington.

An alumnus of DePaul University, Roberson self-published the quarterly anthology "Plastic" from 1998-2001 under his Bottomless Studio imprint, contributing Vitriol, a 12-chapter black comedy. The magazine also featured work by Sam Henderson, amongst other contributors. From 1999-2001 he created several strips for the San Francisco web magazine Spark-Online, usually under the title Slash & Burn.

In early 2003, he was editor, publisher, and one of 26 contributors to the comics anthology Working for the Man, a benefit book published in e-book format for William Messner-Loebs. The collection contains an introduction by Gary Groth as well as work by Sam Kieth, Steve Bissette, Ted Rall, Donna Barr, and P. Craig Russell.

In Summer 2004, he directed the premiere of his comedy Suspension of Disbelief in Chicago for Theatre O' the Absurd.

Roberson created the characters Vladrushka and Rosa & Annalisa for the adult comics publisher Eros Comix, later serializing their adventures in This Sickness at Adultwebcomics.com, and in a print comic of the same name.

He has also collaborated with a number of writers, including Charles Alverson, Janet Harvey, Evan Forsch, and Shane Durgee. In November 2008, he became the regular illustrator for humorist David Volk's column "Last Stop" in Journey Magazine.

My passion is ...

Obvious.

I know too much about ...

Most things. Or so everyone says.

My parents always told me ...

"Son, stocks may rise and fall, utilities and transportation systems may collapse. People are no damn good, but they will always need land and they'll pay through the nose to get it!"

My childhood ambition ...

Still deciding on that.

My favorite memory ...

Trying to forget that one.

Why I write ...

"Language is a virus." --Burroughs.

My first job ...

We will not speak of it again.

My best moment ...

Not yet.

Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Easter

17 of 39

Idolatry, an Easter Poem

(in response to John Updike's Seven Stanzas at Easter)

I do not know if he was God

I do not know whether he returned

Nor do I know who goes to Heaven

Or who's bad enough to get burned

I'm not sure that obsession's what he had in mind

To hold him as a fetish so dear

I think that for many, the magic trick

Of resurrection makes his words less clear

You want to honor your savior?

Aren't his words enough from a man?

Can only a God speak wisdom to you?

Must virtue be His demand?

What he wanted was for you to stop being bastards

To yourselves, and anyone els...

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