Pumpkin the Third

Yeah that's right, I carved a third pumpkin this year. If you follow my blog you probably know that for the last four years I've carved "celebrity tribute" pumpkins; i.e. pumpkins in the likeness of a celebrity who has passed within the last year. The first was Michael Jackson back in 2009. Then came Dennis Hopper, followed by Macho Man Randy Savage. Then finally last year I payed tribute to one of my favorite illustrators, Maurice Sendak.

This year I decided to go with film critic Roger Ebert, known as the partner of Gene Siskel in their television show "At the Movies with Siskel and Ebert."

The day I carved this I learned that Marcia Wallace, the voice talent behind Edna Krabappel on the Simpsons passed away. Then the next day we lost Lou Reed. Both would have been fine candidates for my celebrity pumpkin tribute, but at that point I was pumpkined OUT. Perhaps next year.

What do you say? Would you give this Pumpkin a thumbs up or thumbs down?

An Eye for a Pumpkin

Happy Halloween everyone! Once I started carving pumpkins this year I kept coming up with ideas for more. Here's a giant eyeball pumpkin I carved with wire eyelashes. 

I wanted it to look correct when it was lit up so I carved it in the negative so that the thinnest parts would be the most lit up. 

And here it is keeping watch at my house!

Spooky Scary

Halloween is nearly upon us, which means that it's time for pumpkin carving. I had a lot of fun with my pumpkin sculpture of Slimer last year and wanted to do another one to work on my skills. This year I decided to do an original character with pretty decent results I think.

During the carving stage (Dana Carving stage, that is)

I decided he needed ears, of course, because I'm a glutton for unnecessary work

To make it more Halloweeny I decided that he probably had a lobotomy at some point and needed stitches

Spooky Scary

All lit up

The mustache was probably a bad idea too. Much more work than I anticipated

And finally its home on the steps

Happy Halloween!