Joining us now on the "carving board" (heh heh) is Janice Shields.

BB: What's your day job?
JS: Working right here at Van Cortlandt Manor.

BB: What kind of carvings are you working on for Blaze 2007?
JS: This and that.
BB: You give nothing away!
JS: I know.

BB: Are you working on any other Blaze-related items?
JS: I clean up everyone's mess. That's the bad part. But, I also make soup for the Blaze troops. That's the good part.

BB: What are your preferred carving tools and methods?
JS: Nothing in particular.
BB: Like I said earlier...

BB: Got any carving tips for a novice?
JS: Be patient.

BB: What's your favorite pumpkin-based food?
JS: After all of this, I couldn't handle anything made with pumpkin.

BB: What's your favorite Halloween movie?
JS: Arachnophobia, even if it's not specifically a Halloween movie.

BB: Toasted pumpkin seeds: Salt or no salt?
JS: Lots of salt and other spices.

BB: What makes pumpkins so special?
JS: They turn into Jack O'Lanterns.

BB: If I were a carved pumpkin, I'd be...
JS: Rotting.

BB: Thank you, Janice!

Next up in our carver hot seat is Tom Hunt, a profile I know many of you are dying to read. Yes, this is the guy behind (below?) the chandeliers!

BB: What's your day job?
TH: I'm an interpreter and blacksmith at Van Cortlandt Manor.

BB: What kind of carvings are you working on for Blaze 2007?
TH: Aliens and geeks.

BB: Are you working on any other Blaze-related items?
TH: I am the man behind (or below) the chandeliers in the visitor's tent out front.
BB: Yay! We love those!
TH: Thanks!

BB: What are your preferred carving tools and methods?
TH: Handsaw and a butcher knife.
BB: Subtlety. Overrated?
TH: Definitely.

BB: Got any carving tips for a novice?
TH: Cut first and figure it out later.

BB: What's your favorite pumpkin-based food?
TH: Pumpkin fritters.

BB: What's your favorite Halloween movie?
TH: Halloweentown.
BB: Obscure! Very nice.

BB: Toasted pumpkin seeds: Salt or no salt?
TH: Lots of fresh ground salt.

BB: What makes pumpkins so special?
TH: They are so innocent and trusting.

BB: If I were a carved pumpkin, I'd be...
TH: A gremlin...slowly rotting in the heat.

BB: Thank you, Tom!

And for the third installment of our MtC series, we have Sybil Grieco.

BB: What's your day job?
SG: I'm a museum educator at Van Cortlandt Manor.

BB: What kind of carvings are you working on for Blaze 2007?
SG: Everything and nothing.

BB: Are you working on any other Blaze-related items?
SG: I do set-up and teardown of pumpkins. Also, I'm the Lighting Diva for the real pumpkins, and I scoop. 

BB: What are your preferred carving tools and methods?
SG: Little saws.

BB: Got any carving tips for a novice?
SG: Start off with easy designs and don't be so critical of yourself!

BB: What's your favorite pumpkin-based food?
SG: Pumpkin pie.

BB: What's your favorite Halloween movie?
SG: Nightmare on Elm Street.

BB: Toasted pumpkin seeds: Salt or no salt?
SG: NO SALT.

BB: What makes pumpkins so special?
SG: You can carve fun things on them, but still eat them!

BB: If I were a carved pumpkin, I'd be...
SG: Hitching a ride on the back of a witch's broomstick.

BB: Thank you, Sybil!

Next up in the MtC series is Dorene Picker, assistant art director to Michael Natiello.

BB: What's your day job?
JDP: Lots of Blaze functions, working as an interpreter and security guard at Van Cortlandt Manor, professional mixologist, and full-time grad student.

BB: What kind of carvings are you working on for Blaze 2007?
JDP: A bit of each theme.

BB: Are you working on any other Blaze-related items?
JDP: General setup and funkin repairs. 

BB: What are your preferred carving tools and methods?
JDP: X-Acto #2 and #11 blades, keyhole saws.

BB: Got any carving tips for a novice?
JDP: Use one pumpkin to "test" different cuts and techniques on before working on your final product.

BB: What's your favorite pumpkin-based food?
JDP: Cream of pumpkin soup.

BB: What's your favorite Halloween movie?
JDP: Hocus Pocus, but the Harry Potter movies, Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal count, too!

BB: Toasted pumpkin seeds: Salt or no salt?
JDP: Extra sea salt, please.

BB: What makes pumpkins so special?
JDP: They are versatile and they are (or were, at least) unique to United States Halloween traditions.

BB: If I were a carved pumpkin, I'd be...
JDP: A detailed dragon.

BB: Thank you, Dorene!

Many of you have asked about the carvers whose magical fingers make The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze such a satisfying spectacle. To that end, I dug out my trusty reporter's notebook and went behind the scenes to dig up some info on the folks behind the knives. The Blaze Blog's new series, Meet the Carvers, begins today with Blaze Creative Director and head carver Michael Natiello.

BB: What's your day job?
MN: Professional coffee drinker.

BB: What kind of carvings are you working on for Blaze 2007?
MN: Top secret experimental kind.

BB: Are you working on any other Blaze-related items?
MN: I'm currently working with a lighting designer (Jay Woods) and musicians (Jim Keyes and Cosmic Moth) to create new special effects and a new musical score for the event. 

BB: What are your preferred carving tools and methods?
MN: For tools, I prefer a cordless drill, woodworking routers, a utility knife, a "leatherman," and linoleum block cutters. My preferred method? Carefully.

BB: Got any carving tips for a novice?
MN: Carve quickly but carefully

BB: What's your favorite pumpkin-based food?
MN: Pizza.
BB: Ewww...
MN: Sorry.

BB: What's your favorite Halloween movie?
MN: Frank Zappa's Baby Snakes.

BB: Toasted pumpkin seeds: Salt or no salt?
MN: Sea salt, preferably from the Dead Sea.

BB: What makes pumpkins so special?
MN: Their native spirit.

BB: If I were a carved pumpkin, I'd be...
MN: Composted.

BB: Thank you, Michael!