Fans Want Wax Figures of New Kids on the Block at Madame Tussauds

Photo via NKOTB.com

When a great figure or notable person comes along and inspires others, they are often later memorialized in the form of a statue or monument. And die-hard fans of Boston-bred New Kids on the Block think that same sentiment should hold true for their favorite boy band.

In a petition created on thepetitionsite.com, NKOTB uber-fan Amy Greenwald called on Madame Tussauds museum to immortalize the 1980s boy band with their very own wax statues. “This petition’s ultimate goal is to persuade your wax museum to induct New Kids on the Block,” Greenwald wrote. “We, the fans, are proud and strong. We stand united across the globe. We proudly request that New Kids on the Block be inducted into the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum as an honor, not only to them but to us as well.”

As of Monday, the petition to get the group “inducted” into the museums, which span worldwide and have locations in New York, Los Angeles, and London, has reached 806 signatures. Greenwald hopes to hit 5,000 by October.

The museum already has wax figures of more recent pop stars such as Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and most recently, British boy band One Direction, all based on their respective musical accomplishments, which is why the Blockhead believe the NKOTB deserve a spot, too. “New Kids on the Block became the foundation for other boy band acts such as NSync, Backstreet Boys, and One Direction. In their almost 30 years together, they have yet to be inducted into the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum,” wrote Greenwald, adding that the group has maintained a steady sell-out streak and has sold 80 million records worldwide—“and counting.”

“With millions of fans across the globe, known as Blockheads, their undying love, determination and unity has become contagious. Multi-generational fans have united with each other as well as New Kids on the Block and have become family,” she said.

Boston magazine reached out to officials from the wax museum who said “there are no prerequisites other than what the museum chooses to create,” but celebrities are not allowed to buy their way in, and it is up to the discretion of the museum. A spokesperson said they would look into whether or not the New Kids were on the radar.

According to the museum’s website, it takes up to 800 hours to create just one wax figure, which is done by a “small army” of sculptors, and more than 250 measurements of the actual person. If the NKOTB were to get inducted into Madame Tussauds, it would take them approximately 4,000 hours to create the wax replicas of Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood, Jonathan Knight and Jordan Knight, based off of 1,250 measurements.

NKOTB fans have been known to go above and beyond for the group. In March, during a concert at the Orpheum Theater to promote their new album, “Blockheads” presented a full-page Billboard ad honoring the boys’ musical efforts over the last three decades, which brought NKOTB members to tears.

Members of the group will be in Boston later this month to perform alongside other big musical acts for the “Boston Strong” concert benefiting the victims impacted by the marathon bombings. The show was spearheaded by the NKOTB, and notable member Donnie Wahlberg, as a show of support for the group’s hometown.