The Ballad of Texas John

A disgraced porn producer from 1980s Los Angeles flees a violent drug deal gone wrong, reinvents himself in rural Texas as a humble diner cook, and rises to fame as a cult barbecue tycoon—only to face the ghosts of his past in an explosive, absurdist journey.

An epic black comedy, spanning three decades, loosely based on the animated short films by Mike J. McAllister.

  • Mike J. McAllister
    Writer
    Fish, I Never Saw Venice, Zip
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Genres:
    Dark Comedy, Crime, Thriller, Drama, Horror
  • Number of Pages:
    160
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Writer Biography - Mike J. McAllister

Mike J. McAllister is a Pennsylvania-born award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker based in Austin, Texas, known for emotionally driven, genre-defying stories that blend horror, dark comedy, drama, and coming-of-age realism. His work often explores themes of alienation, spiritual decay, and social systems on the verge of collapse—told through the eyes of flawed, compelling outsiders.

In addition to screenwriting, Mike is an accomplished director, editor, and animator. His award-winning short films — Mercer County, You're On The Air, I Know We'll Meet Again, and I Never Saw Venice — have screened at festivals around the world, praised for their unique voice, visual flair, and emotional depth. He has collaborated with Twitch and YouTube creators, the Austin-based entertainment site OneOfUs.Net, and live events with The Roxy Horror Picture Show and One Man’s Trash.

Mike is currently developing new feature and television projects and is actively seeking representation.

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Writer Statement

This script really started from a joke pitch to my friend and fellow writer, T.C. De Witt. We had produced a pair of wacky, surreal and dark animated comedy shorts centered on an eccentric Texan restaurateur with shady dealings behind closed doors. De Witt loves the character and asked if I have ideas for a third installment. I pitched an origin story but loved the idea and thought, "If I do this, I have to take it seriously." So what started as a pair of Adult Swim-like shorts, I took the character and put him in a Coen Bros.-style black comedy epic.