Meet Maniac Pumpkin Carvers: The NYC Artists Turning Pumpkins Into Halloween Masterpieces
Founders Marc Evan and Chris Soria have turned a love of Halloween into an extraordinary art form.
What happens when you combine a love of Halloween, an artist’s eye, and thousands of pumpkins? You get Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, the NYC-based creative team transforming ordinary pumpkins into extraordinary works of art.
Marc and Chris started carving pumpkins while creating haunted houses in high school. After graduating from Parsons School of Design, they worked at iconic New York City bars and restaurants, where they began carving pumpkins to decorate the establishments for Halloween.
“Each Fall we pushed ourselves to add more detail and complexity,” they share. Those increasingly ambitious creations earned them press coverage and bigger clients. Then came a game-changing commission: the New York Yankees hired them to create 50 pumpkins for Game 1 of the 2009 World Series.
“We knew this could grow to be something much bigger.”
Over the years, Maniac Pumpkin Carvers have created work for MoMA, the Whitney, Yankee Stadium, and major brands. One of their favorite challenges is recreating famous works of art in the very museums where the originals are displayed.
“Recreating famous works of art into pumpkins for the museums that exhibit those same original masterpieces is always a great pleasure and highlight for us,” they explain.
The challenge? Translating a celebrated artwork into a medium that will not last forever. “Trying to adapt a famous work into a perishable medium like pumpkin is always an incredible challenge that pushes us to expand what’s possible and create some our very favorite carvings.”
And the creative process begins long before the first cut. The artists carefully select each pumpkin, looking for ones that are heavy for their size or have unique features. Even the stem matters. “A nice, thick green stem is also an important indicator of the freshness and quality of the pumpkin.”
Once they find the right canvas, years of experience in drawing, painting, and sculpture help bring their designs to life. But their secret weapon might be less glamorous than you would expect. “Learning how to see like an artist and really study your inspiration references can make a huge difference in the level of detail that can be achieved,” they say. And when it comes to carving, “Patience is also a very underrated skill.”
October is no ordinary month at Maniac Pumpkin Carvers. During peak season, the team can work almost around the clock, going through thousands of pumpkins for custom orders, classes, events, and demonstrations. “The vibes in our studio can be really fun,” they share. “We listen to music or podcasts while we work and the rooms are usually dimly lit with lots of glowing pumpkins being carved.”
Of course, thousands of pumpkins and tight deadlines can make things hectic. As they admit, “When we have tight deadlines and tons of orders going out things can get stressful too.”
And then there are the giant pumpkins. Some weigh well over 1,000 pounds! These are not your typical farm-stand finds. The team works with a network of hobbyist growers to source them, and moving them often requires forklifts. Carving one can take a team of artists several days.
Their commissions can also get delightfully personal. One of their funniest projects involved creating portraits of every member of a family. The dad was depicted asleep and snoring, while the son's portrait showed him staring at his cell phone. Some family portraits really do capture the moment.
Unlike a painting or sculpture, a pumpkin carving has a built-in expiration date. For Evan and Soria, that is part of what makes the art so special. “Pumpkin carving is an ephemeral art, meaning it’s something very temporary and meant to be experienced in the moment,” they explain. “It forces us to be present and in the moment. There is something really magical about that idea.”
They believe that seeing the work in person makes the experience even more meaningful: “Those who experience our work in person get to see something truly special and unique in that moment in time.”
After more than 20 years of carving, the team continues to embrace new trends. Some years bring a rush of requests for live demonstrations; other years are filled with carving classes and hands-on experiences. “It’s always different and exciting and keeps things fresh for our team.”
Their work also has a local connection beyond the art itself. Most of their pumpkins come from local farms, several of which they connected with through GrowNYC and the Union Square Greenmarket. They also try to send pumpkin waste to community gardens for composting or to farms and other organizations that can use it to feed animals.
Want to Make Your Own Pumpkin Masterpiece? You do not need to be a professional artist to create a great jack-o’-lantern. The founders encourage beginners to start with the basics and gradually increase the difficulty as their confidence grows.
Their biggest tip? “The biggest piece of advice is to sketch out your ideas on paper,” they say. “Even if it’s a traditional jack o lantern with triangle eyes, drawing the shapes out first (instead of just trying to dive right in with your knife) will help you to have more success with your carve.”
It is simple advice that can make a big difference, whether you are attempting an elaborate portrait or a classic Halloween face.
With Marc Evan and Chris Soria turning a high-school Halloween tradition into an extraordinary creative business, Maniac Pumpkin Carvers show just how far a little imagination can go. Their work celebrates the fun of Halloween, the skill of artists, and the magic of creating something beautiful, even when it will not last forever.
