Gore and gourds: Pumpkin artist's twisted creations

Forget cute smiles -- Tom Nardone sticks with Halloween horror.
By JULIE HINDS
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
DETROIT -- Tom Nardone of Ferndale, Mich., does things to pumpkins that would make Linus cringe.
He covers them with fake blood and sets them on fire. His idea of a fun carving project is the bloody-brains pumpkin, which is sort of a gourd version of that awful scene from "Hannibal."
Some boys dream of such things in fifth grade. Nardone, a 33-year-old Internet retailer, never gave up the dream. Last month, he started a Web site, Extremepumpkins.com, a how-to guide with a twisted sense of humor.
Please, Tom, tell us more about your hobby. But keep that power tool away from our pumpkin.
Q. What is an extreme pumpkin?
A. Any pumpkin that Martha Stewart wouldn't put on her porch.
Q. When's the first time you did something bizarre to a pumpkin?
A. Probably three years ago. I tried to carve one with a roto-zip saw, which you normally use for drywall. I thought it would be easier.
Q. You have a lot of weird designs on your site. Which ones are your favorites?
A. I like the drowning-in-a-bag pumpkin. I like the brain one. That one is on my front porch right now.
Q. What do you use to "decapitate" your pumpkins, as you put it?
A. I use a Sawzall. It has a longer blade, and it goes through the thick area of the pumpkin, where you pull the top off. Normally, you use it to cut through boards or pipes.
Q. You clean your pumpkins with a pressure washer. How messy is that?
A. It's simple. If you're out washing the car with it, just use it. It takes the dirt right off of them. The last time I did it, I was washing 16 at once, to get enough ready for the site.
Q. What's your recipe for fake blood?
A. It's corn syrup, red food coloring, and if you want to make it thicker, cornstarch. The corn syrup will draw flies. By late October, I don't think any flies will be living.
Q. You like to set your pumpkins on fire. Is this a caveman instinct?
A. Yeah, definitely. Last week, we used one of those road safety flares. We put it inside a pumpkin. That was awesome. It glowed so bright, a couple of my neighbors came over to see what it was.
Q. How do you preserve your pumpkins?
A. WD-40 or the dollar-store equivalent. Some sort of spray lubricant. It keeps the squirrels away from them.
Q. Which pumpkin will you make this Halloween?
A. I have a big one I'm saving, probably 70 pounds. It's almost as big as a trash barrel. I haven't decided what to do, yet. It's going to be something kind of gruesome.
Q. What does your wife think of all this?
A. She thinks it's hilarious. The whole thing started because she bought these pieces of wood you stick into a pumpkin to make it look like a turkey. I hated it. Pumpkins aren't supposed to be cute.
Q. Do you believe in the Great Pumpkin?
A. I've never waited out for him. Maybe he just misses my house.
Q. Will you please end this interview by saying, "Kids, don't try this at home"?
A. Kids, do not play with fire. Do not try this at home. But encourage your dad to do so.