Geeking Out for Halloween: Star Wars Jack-O-Lanterns

A pumpkin carved to be an R2-D2 from Wars Jack-O-Lantern.
Photo Credit: Noel Dickover

NPR’s All Tech Considered blog takes a look at Noel Dickover, a hobbyist pumpkin carving master, who’s created some amazingly detailed Star Wars-themed jack-o-lanterns. “For Halloween and Star Wars geeks alike, it’s truly a harmonic convergence of awesomeness.”

As Noel says, “There’s a difference between carving a pattern on a pumpkin, and a pumpkin sculpt.  In the case of R2-D2, or the Deathstar, for instance, the pumpkin “is” the object, not just a portrait.  So in thinking about carving R2-D2, I absolutely had to have a fairly tall, completely cylindrical looking pumpkin.  I found one that weighed in at right around 40 lbs. Without this, there’s no way I could have gotten the detail I was looking for.”

Death Star jack o' lantern carved by Dickover from a 186-lb pumpkin in 2008.
Photo Credit: Noel Dickover

Noel’s work is plenty diverse and draws inspiration from lots of sources in addition to the galaxy far, far away. Check out his work, including free patterns, at his site, Fantasy Pumpkins

Geeking Out For Halloween: Behold The R2-D2 Jack-O’-Lantern [NPR]