FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What is Maniac Pumpkin Carvers?
2. Do you carve real pumpkins?
3. Do you carve "faux" pumpkins?
4. How long do your pumpkins last?
5. Are your pumpkins for sale?
6. Where are you located? Do you deliver and/or ship? Do you travel?
7. When are pumpkins available?
8. Can you appear at our event?
9. What can you carve for me?
10. How are the pumpkins lit?
11. How much do they cost?
12. How big are the pumpkins?
13. Can you get white (or other specialty) pumpkins?
14. What can you do to preserve or make a carving last longer?
15. How did you become pumpkin carvers?
16. Can you teach people to carve / do you offer classes?
17. What do you do when its not Halloween?
18. Are you available for press/media inquiries?
19. What happens to the seeds and pumpkin waste?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What is Maniac Pumpkin Carvers?
Maniac Pumpkin Carvers LLC was founded by Chris Soria and Marc Evan. These two artists combined their illustration and sculpting skills with their love of Halloween to create Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, a company specializing in high end, custom pumpkin art. Their carvings and demonstrations are world reknowned and continue to push the boundaries of this exciting, ephemeral art medium. For availablity and price quotes please contact us!
2. Do you carve real pumpkins?
YES, we specialize in carving real, locally grown, pumpkins. We carve these pumpkins by hand without rotary or power tools. There is something magical about freshly carved pumpkins. Yes, they will decompose, but that makes it even more special to know that our work will only be around for a short time. A true limited edition that captures the imagination and creates a unique experience. Pumpkin carving is an ephemeral art. It is meant to be enjoyed in the moment. The best way to preserve a real pumpkin is with a photograph.
3. Do you carve "faux" pumpkins?
We carve limited quantities of faux pumpkins (Funkins). We love working with the real thing: pumpkins grown by local family farms. But sometimes real pumpkins aren’t practical. We keep limited stock on hand, so artificial pumpkins will take longer to source and carve than our traditional pumpkins. Special equipment and safety precautions need to be taken when carving the faux pumpkins.
4. How long do your pumpkins last?
It really depends on the pumpkin, the carving, and a bunch of other factors. Pumpkins can last a few days to 2 weeks or longer with proper care. They look their absolute best for the first few days after carving and can typically look great for at least a week with minimal care. Some things you can do to prolong your pumpkin are keeping it wrapped tightly in plastic wrap when not on display. Keeping your pumpkin cold also helps, so refrigerate it or keep it somewhere cool whenever possible. Another great tip for pumpkins that are starting to shrivel or look old is to give it an ice bath (just make sure to remove any lights or electronics first) with a capful of bleach added. This will plump the pumpkin back up as well as kill any mold growth. Carved pumpkins that are etched on the surface, without being scooped out (no internal lights) tend to last the longest.
5. Are your pumpkins for sale?
Yes, we are a company specializing in custom pumpkin carvings, live carving demonstrations, and classes! We carve logos, portraits, monsters, and most everything else that people come up with. Prices typically start around $150 for simple designs to upwards of $800 or more for our more extreme sculptures and highly detailed works of pumpkin art. We are able to overnight ship our pumpkins all across the United States. Contact us to get a quote.
6. Where are you located? Do you deliver and/or ship? Do you travel?
Maniac Pumpkin Carvers is a NY based company. Our pop up HQ changes locations seasonally. Our current studio is located in Yonkers NY, allowing us to easily service NYC and the Tri State area. We deliver locally and can overnight ship our pumpkin carvings anywhere in the continental United States. Shipping is based on size, weight, and distance the package will travel, so it may be dificult for us to calculate in advance. Note: shipping pumpkins is not cheap. We are happy to use your shipping acct for Fed Ex or UPS to deliver. At this time, overseas shipping is not possible for pumpkins but our carvers travel and can be flown to any location. Contact us for availability.
7. When are pumpkins available?
Pumpkins are typically only available from early September to late November. During the other months of the year we are happy to carve other fruits, veggies, and gourds such as watermelons, squashes, and potatoes. We are full time artists, and when pumpkins aren’t in season our artists switch mediums. Our team includes painters, muralists, illustrators, designers, and sculptors.
8. Can you appear at our event?
We have limited availability for live demonstrations and appearances. Our events are always a blast for attendees and are sure to increase your social media exposure as guests love posting pictures of us carving and our creations. We are based in the NYC area but are able to travel anywhere. Contact us for availability and pricing.
9. What can you carve for me?
We can carve almost anything into a pumpkin including logos and branding, special messages, favorite characters, portraits, monsters, and even recreations of your favorite artwork or album cover. Our artists will work with your ideas to create a unique masterpiece. Depending on the design, we can etch the pumpkin or fully sculpt it. Some types of carvings will look better internally lit and others, like the 3D sculpted pumpkins look best unscooped and lit externally (ie. spotlight). Please provide images or logos with your inquiry to speed up the estimate process.
10. How are the pumpkins lit?
We use custom fitted electric lighting. Our LED lights are equivalent to 40 - 100 watt bulbs depending on the size and thickness of the pumpkin. They are energy efficient and stay cool, helping your pumpkin last longer. We have switched to LEDs from Compact Flourescents (CFL). They are a more consistent light as well as much safer to use and better for the environment. Please save your lighting units for future pumpkins or reuse our standard sized bulbs in your home. Our LED bulbs are rated to last for 20 years!
11. How much do they cost?
Prices vary based on a variety of factors including size and intricacy of the image to be carved. Prices typically start around $150 for simpler etchings to upwards of $800 or more for portraits and our more extreme sculptures or works of art.
12. How big are the pumpkins?
Please refer to "the Usual Pumpkins" size chart above. Extra Large, Jumbo, and Giant Pumpkins are available based on local supply. It becomes harder to source large pumpkins as we get towards late October. With advance notice, special arrangements can be made to acquire giant pumpkins and other rare varieties. Please inquire for availability.
13. Can you get white (or other specialty) pumpkins?
We can get many types of speciality pumpkins from our growers, including white pumpkins, giant pumpkins, cinderella pumpkins, plus other heirloom pumpkins and gourds. These are always in very limited supply, so inquire early for availability. Specialty pumpkins typically cost more than standard carving pumpkins and may increase turnaround times. Keep in mind that white pumpkins still have orange flesh inside.
14. What can you do to preserve or make a carving last longer?
Unfortunately, nothing will preserve your pumpkin forever better than a good photograph. There are several steps you can take to make your pumpkin last longer. Wrapping the pumpkin tightly with plastic wrap and keeping it cool when not on display will greatly increase the pumpkins life. You can also lightly spray your pumpkin with diluted lemon juice or vinegar to help prevent oxidation and mold growth. Another good trick for a pumpkin that is starting to age is to give it a soak in ice water that you've added a capful or two of bleach too. This will help kill any growth and revive the pumpkin adding a few more days to its life.
15. How did you become pumpkin carvers?
Chris and Marc are both artists and childhood friends who love all the things about Halloween, horror, and geek culture. They started out carving pumpkins and producing haunted houses while still in high school. They both studied illustration at Parsons School of Design in New York City. While working in the NY restaurant and bar scene during college, the duo began carving elaborate pumpkins for the establishments that they worked at and frequented. Soon after, they were contacted by Wired.com and their pumpkins quickly were put in high demand. Maniac Pumpkin Carvers was born.
16. Can you teach people to carve / do you offer classes?
We offer a few different types of classes customized to your needs. Private or group lessons are possible. Please inquire at via our contact page for pricing and availability. We also offer a limited number of internships each year. For internships or employment please send a resume plus cover letter explaining why you want to work with us!
17. What do you do when its not Halloween?
We are a full creative studio that specializes in pumpkin carving. When its not pumpkin season we are busy as illustrators, muralists, fine artists. and craftsmen. You can check out some of our other work at marcevan.com and chrissoriacreative.com We also spend a large amount of time throughout the year working on and planning our designs and events for the following season.
18. Are you available for press/media inquiries?
Yes, please send your request to info@maniacnyc.com.
19. What happens to the seeds and other pumpkin waste?
We love eating pumpkin seeds and roast up some batches to snack on while we work. They are super healthy and delicious. Friends who visit the studio often leave with buckets full of seeds. Other pumpkin scraps, guts, and waste gets brought to local community gardens or animal farms to be turned into wonderful compost or animal feed.