1967 American Astronaut III Model Kit – Aurora

Tom Killeen is well known in the film industry as a movie magic specialist. Killeen works behind the scenes of the art department tirelessly. He is known for creating and painting designs that help actors morph into the characters they portray or transforming the entire imaginary world around them.  Among many films, he has worked on I Am Legend (2007), Independence Day (1996) and The Chronicles of Riddick (2004).

Presented are items from his personal collection. Some of the items are direct from film sets and others are project models he has worked on. The work on the props and models are beyond hobbyist as these pieces were touched by Killeen who has a highly technical and advanced artist skill. He is now ready to bring his form of art to market and have it appreciated by all the movie buffs or monster collectors out there.

From Killeen’s collection is this 1967 American Astronaut III model kit by Aurora 409-100. The kit includes the box and instructions.

Released in 1967, the American Astronaut was part of Aurora’s attempt to expand beyond their extremely successful — but by now waning — catalog of movie monster model kits. Cleverly designed to show an EMU-equipped Gemini astronaut suspended in space, the kit was not a big hit and, in fact, marked the beginning of the once-unstoppable model manufacturer’s slow, painful demise.