The Great Jack-O-Lantern Debate

I'm going to begin with a tale from last year.  It was an early afternoon on a Saturday in late October.  I had waited until Halloween to buy a pumpkin, and - surprise, surprise - I couldn't find any for sale.  This year, proving that I learn from my mistakes, I bought two pumpkins about a month ago.  This weekend, a full week before Halloween, my wife and I sharpened up our spooky carving knives and channeled our pumpkin creativity.  With two pumpkins to choose from, an unannounced competition ensues.  Here are the two entries:

From left to right: the potential loser and the potential winner.

For purposes of impartiality, I will not say who carved which pumpkin. Let's take a closer look at them, shall we? 

Trick-or-treat.

Our first entry is a larger, classically cut pumpkin lit with a normal flashlight.  It has cleverly designed uneven ovals for eyes and a predictable triangle for a nose.  The familiar grin of the jack-o-lantern makes this pumpkin a fan favorite.

Our second entry is a refreshingly out-of-the-box take on the Halloween tradition.

Knock. Knock. It's Halloween.

This jack-o-lantern noticeably is lit by a green, life-saving LED flashlight that promises over 200 hours of light, well beyond the typical flashlight.  This means it will haunt your doorstep longer.  It's face is hauntingly square.  The creator admits, "when I began I had Frankenstein in mind.  It turned out a bit different but I couldn't be happier." The harsh angles and lack of precision of the finer features hint that this pumpkin was carved with a knife that was much too large for the pumpkin, making the end result all the more impressive.  The pumpkin is dominated by the large tie below the face.  It will surely be the template for future generations of pumpkin carvers.

So which is your favorite? As if I have to ask.