What is The Old Negro Space Program?

It’s a short film I made in 2003. I had the title in my head for many years. It always made me laugh. Finally I realized I wanted to watch a movie with that title and no one was going to make that movie for me. So I did it myself.

I started by photoshopping a single image: The Negro League baseball player (the amazing sidearm pitcher William “Cannonball” Jackman) and I superimposed John Glenn’s space helmet from Nasa’s excellent (and free) photo library. I emailed that photo to a few writer friends with a brief message: “I think this could be good.” I received back several messages, most saying, “fuck you,” which I take to be the highest compliment a writer can pay another writer.

Working at my usual lazy-ass pace, I completed the film in about 10 months. It was shown at the HBO Comedy Festival in 2004 (back when it was the Aspen Comedy Festival). And even before that, it helped me get my first tv writing job on Malcolm in the Middle.

Also it was one of the first shorts to “go viral,” and I’m very proud of it. The Old Negro Space Program has been good to me. I hope you enjoy it.
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Want to help me out?

Sure I’m a big-time tv writer now. But not that big-time yet. Tell you what. If you really loved the movie, why not get yourself a sweet remembrance of our time together:

T-Shirt Mug Mousepad

Beautiful, right? Okay, so you love the movie and you want to help me pay for the cost of hosting this site, but you don’t want a t-shirt or mousepad. How about a donation through Paypal?


Or how about this? You want to donate, but you don’t want me to have any piece of it? Please give to the Negro League Players Association, or the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. You’ll feel good. I’ll feel less guilty for satirizing this treasured part of American history. And you’ll be helping to keep this treasure alive.