President-elect Barack Obama will open a new San Francisco residence about the same time he is getting comfortable in the White House.
Obama will be immortalized in wax at the San Francisco Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf.
"The people have spoken and we've got both the winners," said Wax Museum owner Rodney Fong. "Perhaps we'll get Justin to sing at the inauguration. And, of course, we all expect Barack Obama to wax eloquent."
The new waxed Obama will take about six months to finish at a cost between $15,000 and $40,000. The cost varies depending on the clothes, jewelry and other accessories being used, according to Fong.
"For instance, with Mariah Carey, we saved a lot on material," Fong said. "No one expects Mariah to be wearing very much."
The process of creating a wax figure begins with a clay head that is sculpted and utilized to construct a plaster mold.
The mold is then filled with a mixture of molten bees wax. As the wax begins to harden, excess wax is poured from the center of the mold, creating a hollow wax sculpture.
After removing the plaster mold, medical glass eyes are set in place, along with porcelain teeth. Human hair, including eyebrows and facial hair, are inserted one strand at a time.
The process can take up to two months to complete. Layers of translucent paint are applied, creating skin tones. Hands, arms and sometimes entire torsos are also manufactured in wax.
Obama will also be joined by Justin Timberlake, who beat out competitors Dale Earnhardt and Tupac Shakur in an online poll of who should be waxed.
Also joining the museum's 2009 collection are a new "age-accurate" Queen Elizabeth and the teen sensation Miley Cyrus.
