Grim Crew Presents: Dead Future

Just because Halloween is over, doesn’t mean we can’t have fun with pumpkins. I mean we still have Thanksgiving coming up and who doesn’t love pumpkin pie right? Well if my pumpkin pie were made out of this pumpkin… I might just pass on it for this year.

It was just a matter of time before the Great Pumpkin got pissed with Linus and his voyeurism.

What Ray Villafane does with pumpkins is mind blowing. Not only will he carve jack-o-lanterns, but he will cave ones that will scar the minds of five year olds for years to come. Don’t believe me? Look at some of his other works.

Now Mr. Villafane is no Joe Shmoe when it comes to sculpting. He has created sculptures for some of the biggest names out there. He has made several toys for both Marvel and DC Comics featuring their biggest characters. From Batman, Killer Croc, Superman, and Wonder Woman, to Logan, Magneto, Ghost Rider, and even Aliens, Ray has done quite an impressive collection of toys that more than some of you probably own. Other companies he’s worked for include McFarlin Toys and Sideshow Collectibles.

But when you want to talk about his pumpkins, the best place to look is, well everywhere. He has done pumpkins for all sorts of places including restaurants, hotels, the White House, and his newest media sensation at the New York Botanical Gardens pictured above. Some of his most famous work however has been on display with the Food Network’s hit show Outrageous Pumpkin Challenge. Not only has Ray taken on this show’s challenge of incorporating specific elements of pumpkin carving into its events, but has taken home the Grand Prize in both the 2008 and 2010 episodes of this show. I was lucky enough to catch the 2010 episode and let me tell you, watching his work come to life was breathtaking. When you look at the pictures below, it’s no wonder why he won.

This Medusa carving won Ray his 2010 Grand Prize. Not only do the eyes glow, but some of the snakes move as well.

Maybe this was the pumpkin the zombies were coming for?

That's got to hurt.

Every year it seems that Ray Villafane takes his pumpkin carving hobby to the next level and I can’t wait to see what he does with it next year. With zombies becoming more and more popular in the main stream, I wouldn’t doubt it if we see an army of zombies next year. One can only dream. Be sure to check out Ray’s site at villafanestudios.com for more of his pumpkin genius.

Please feel free to comment on this blog below or if you have any questions direct them to me at penguinprince@grimcrew.com. You can also follow Dead Future on Facebook! Don’t forget to add me to your twitter and Google +!

-Till Fate brings our Future

Penguin Prince.