CALABASAS, CA-June 23, 2015—Profiles in History will pay tribute and honor to special effects master Grant McCune as they present McCune Masterworks at the 2015 Comic-Con International: San Diego, July 8 – 12. Profiles in History will devote its entire Comic-Con booth (#1605) to McCune’s work, highlighted by the original, screen-used, Star Wars IV: A New Hope 18″ miniature “Blockade Runner,” the ship that set the tone for the entire Star Wars franchise, creating an epic cultural phenomenon that would capture audiences worldwide for generations to come. The “Blockade Runner” was the first flying ship audiences around the world saw hurtling through space in the opening sequence of the first Star Wars film, carrying Princess Leia, C-3PO and R2-D2 among its crew.

Comic-Con fans will be treated to a rare opportunity to see this iconic piece of movie history up close, as it hasn’t been seen or displayed publicly for nearly 40 years! Mr. McCune, as Chief Model Maker, was one of the primary members of the Team that won the 1978 Academy Award® for Best Visual Effects for the film-and his Oscar® will also be on display.

In addition to the “Blockade Runner,” the McCune Masterworks display will also feature a production made “X-Jet” miniature from X-Men 2 and a German U-Boat filming miniature replica from U-571. All three of these items will be offered as part of Profiles in History’s Fall Hollywood Auction, so Comic-Con visitors will have this unique opportunity to get a sneak peek at these historic film props. A portion of the auction’s proceeds will help fund the upcoming Grant McCune Foundation providing scholarships to young model makers and designers.

Other items on display will include the Spaceballs “Winnebago” spaceship filming miniature and a selection of four incredible Musical Automata: “Survival of the Fittest” (Dodo Bird Evolving), “Confusion” (miniature Art Deco Theater plays movie), “Wired Exports” (Brass Armillary) and “Tender Credibility” (miniature Gold Mine Mountain), and a number of other original McCune Masterworks creations.

In a nod to the passion of Comic-Con’s science fiction fans and McCune Masterworks’ long history of creating science fiction magic, Comic-Con visitors will be treated to a sneak preview of McCune Masterworks’ Nova Docking Station preliminary design, a customizable modular storage system for collectors of miniature scale spacecraft. The innovative design of the Nova Docking Station allows for the option to build an 8-foot tall space-themed exhibit with 5-7 modules to house your large, interstellar fleet; or collect one module at a time and customize as desired. Arrangement of modules can be configured to each collector’s taste. The docking bays and arms include lighting and power jacks. The Nova Docking Station is ideal for spacecraft models from leading brands, as well as other scale model craft. Comic Con visitors will be the first to have the unique opportunity of giving feedback on the preliminary design to the creators from McCune Masterworks. Those participating will receive free gifts and will be entered into daily prize giveaways including Limited Edition Behind the Scenes Photos from the special effects filming of the original Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, as well as spaceship models from leading brands.

Academy Award winner Grant McCune-A Lifetime of Innovation Lives on with McCune Masterworks.

The late Grant McCune was the chief model maker on the first Star Wars movie, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. The X-Wing, Millennium Falcon, TIE fighter, Sand Crawler, Blockade Runner and Death Star were built under his direction, and he also personally worked on many of the robots in the film, including R2-D2. Grant’s approach to miniature visual effects became the industry standard. He went on to become chief model maker on the pilot episode of Battlestar Galactica and received his second Oscar nomination for his achievements on Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Grant’s work was also featured in Caddyshack, Die Hard, Firefox, and Ghostbusters II, among others. The company has also contributed to dozens of other award-winning films, including Iron Man 2, Spider-Man 1 & 2, Rambo, Dante’s Peak, Mortal Kombat and Batman Forever.

McCune Masterworks led by Kathy McCune, Grant’s wife of 30 years, remains family owned and creates bespoke functional art and premium replicas that become innovative showpieces for discerning collectors. These entertaining, custom pieces utilize the legendary craftsmanship, exquisite modeling, innovative special effects, and complex electro-mechanical engineering skills that have been perfected over decades serving both the movie industry and private collectors. Each piece reflects the client’s imagination, with details as personal as a signature. McCune Masterworks’ slogan, “We bring to life what others can only imagine,” embodies their decades-rich portfolio which includes more than 20 years of fabulous creations commissioned by the most discerning private collectors. Today, McCune Masterworks continues to bring to life experiential and exquisitely modeled objects d’art through their custom creations.

“We are thrilled to promote McCune Masterworks at our booth at Comic-Con this year. The public debut of Princess Leia’s Blockade Runner – the first spaceship seen in the original Star Wars film – will be great for all the fans to see. In addition, we want the world to know about Grant’s legacy and the fantastic creations of McCune Masterworks. Their creativity and craftsmanship is beyond reproach – they can literally build anything that you can imagine,” says Joe Maddalena, President, CEO of Profiles in History

For more information about McCune Masterworks, please visit: www.mccunemasterworks.com/