Another newish carver goes under the knife for our Meet the Carvers series. Please put your cyber hands together for Ray Ranellone.

BB: Tell us something non-pumpkin related about yourself.

RR: I'm an engineer. TI-83 4 Life!

BB: Wow, I wish I knew what that meant. What kind of carvings are you working on for Blaze 2008?
RR: Happy simple Jacks.

BB: Can you sum up Blaze in three words?
RR: Carpool...People...Carpool!

BB: Indeed. Can you offer some advice for the casual carver?
RR: Pumpkins stay fresh longer, the more you procrastinate.

BB: I need to mull that for a bit. OK, what's the best music to listen to while carving?
RR: Heavy metal.

BB: There ya go. OK, got a pumpkin haiku to share?
RR: So many pumpkins
So many pumpkins to carve
So many pumpkins

BB: Ramones-esque. I love it. What's your favorite thing about Halloween?
RR: I get to dress up all fancy.

BB: Ha. Pumpkin pie...a la mode, no a la mode, or no way?
RR: Sure, when will it be done?

BB: Nice try. If pumpkins could talk, what would they say?
RR: What did you do to my face?!?

BB: If you weren't spending October carving pumpkins, what would you be doing?
RR: Reassembling my car.

BB: Thank you, Ray!

Meet the Carvers enthusiasts will no doubt remember that both Sybil and Tom -- our inaugural entries this year -- got profiled last year as well. But, we have some new faces working the knives, too. Making her debut in the Meet the Carvers series is Christina Ruiz.

BB: Tell us something non-pumpkin related about yourself.

CR: Environment is everything.

BB: Very...Jean-Paul Sartre. What kind of carvings are you working on for Blaze 2008?

CR: Fairies, fishes, and faces.

BB: Can you sum up Blaze in three words?
CR: One...Two...Pumpkin!

BB: Can you offer some advice for the casual carver?
CR: Don't drink and carve.

BB: Ah, so that's why my carvings always end in disaster. OK, what's the best music to listen to while carving?
CR: Ratatat.

BB: Love the electronica. Got a pumpkin haiku to share?
CR: Pumpkins on my mind
Scooping, carving out their guts
Pumpkins have no souls.

BB: Yes! I didn't have to ask in the form of a haiku why you didn't have one! OK. What's your favorite thing about Halloween?
CR: Getting to dress up as a gypsy.

BB: Pumpkin pie...a la mode, no a la mode, or no way?
CR: After seeing thousands of pumpkins rot...no way!

BB: If pumpkins could talk, what would they say?
CR: My face is rotting!

BB: If you weren't spending October carving pumpkins, what would you be doing?
CR: Growing vegetables.

BB: Thank you, Christina!

 

You like carvers. We like carvers. Carvers like carvers, too. That's why we are continuing our Meet the Carvers series 08. Next up, Sybil Grieco.

BB: Tell us something non-pumpkin related about yourself.

TH: I'm a designer of fashion dolls.

BB: What kind of carvings are you working on for Blaze 2008?
TH: Baby dinosaurs, fish, faces, and rocks for Pumpkinhenge.

BB: Can you sum up Blaze in three words?
TH: More...To...See!

BB: Love it (and the More To See pumpkins out there) Can you offer some advice for the casual carver?
TH: Let the pumpkin tell you what it wants to be.

BB: What's the best music to listen to while carving?
TH: Indian folk music.

BB: Nice. Got a pumpkin haiku to share?
TH: Sorry, no!
BB: Sybil you must have
one little haiku for me
to share with your fans
TH: Nope, sorry.

BB: OK. What's your favorite thing about Halloween?
TH: Being allowed to ride my broomstick.

BB: Absolutely not. Well, one thing: Pumpkin pie...a la mode, no a la mode, or no way?
TH: A la mode of course.

BB: If pumpkins could talk, what would they say?
TH: Help me!

BB: Yes, especially around here. Now, if you weren't spending October carving pumpkins, what would you be doing?
TH: Sunning on the Riviera.

BB: Thank you, Sybil!

Ding, ding, ding, ding...Round 2 of the Blaze YouTube Video Contest is ova! The judges have spoken (in a manner of speaking) and we have another winner.

Jerry Crisci is quite the auteur. Not only did he craft a nifty little video of the Blaze, he crafted a nifty little original soundtrack for it, too!

For his efforts, he takes home (well, not exactly "takes home," since this isn't a game show and he's already home. Or, maybe he's not home but you know what I mean) an iPod touch, courtesy of WHUD.

There are still TWO more to iPods to be given out. Want one? Here are the contest rules.

And for those of you who haven't entered yet, here's some inspiration. Click below to behold this week's winner.

Perhaps the most oft-asked question visitors to the Blaze have is "Who in the heck did all of this carving?!?" Well, in the spirit of explaining just who in the heck, we are launching an all-new Meet the Carvers series for Blaze '08. Our inaugural interviewee: Tom Hunt.

BB: Tell us something non-pumpkin related about yourself.

TH: I'm an interpreter and blacksmith for Historic Hudson Valley.

BB: What kind of carvings are you working on for Blaze 2008?
TH: Dinosaurs, pirates, and rocks.

BB: Can you sum up Blaze in three words?
TH: Whole...Lotta...Fun!

BB: Can you offer some advice for the casual carver?
TH: Just enjoy it and have fun with the carving experience.

BB: What's the best music to listen to while carving?
TH: I like to listen to nature, sounds of the birds singing and the river running.

BB: Very zen. Got a pumpkin haiku to share?
TH: Heck no!
BB: Oh come now Tom Hunt
Surely you can share just one
A few pumpkin words?
TH: Heck no!

BB: Fair enough. What's your favorite thing about Halloween?
TH: Blaze! Is there anything else?

BB: Absolutely not. Well, one thing: Pumpkin pie...a la mode, no a la mode, or no way?
TH: A la mode with enough to cover the whole slice.

BB: If pumpkins could talk, what would they say?
TH: Leave me alone!

BB: I hope that's the pumpkins talking hypothetical...ok, ok, just one more question: If you weren't spending October carving pumpkins, what would you be doing?
TH: Hibernating.

BB: Thank you, Tom!