Maniac Pumpkin Carvers Update| Shark Tank Season 15

Marc Evan and Chris Soria were only making money during Halloween when people wanted custom-carved pumpkins. To keep the business going all year, they started Maniac Pumpkin Carvers School of Pumpkin, a set of online and in-person classes that teach people how to carve detailed pumpkins any time of year. It helps them earn year-round and gives people an easy way to learn pro-level carving from home. Will they carve out a deal with one of the sharks? Find out in our Maniac Pumpkin Carvers update and pitch recap.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Maniac Pumpkin Carvers after Shark Tank.

Marc and Chris pitched their carving business on Shark Tank Season 15, seeking $150,000 for 8% equity. After their pitch, they walked away without a deal.

In terms of a Maniac Pumpkin Carvers update, the company is still in business and has continued to grow since Shark Tank. They received a nice boost in sales after airing and we are sure people will remember them the next time Halloween rolls around.

Shark	Result
Kevin O’Leary	No offer
Barbara Corcoran	No offer
Lori Greiner	No offer
Jason Blum	No offer
Mark Cuban	No offer

Shark Tank Maniac Pumpkin Carvers Pitch

• Entrepreneurs: Marc Evan and Chris Soria
• Business: Pumpkin carving business
• Ask: $150,000 for 8% equity
• Result: No offer
• Shark: None

Artists and pumpkin carvers, Marc and Chris, introduced themselves as lifelong friends and the founders of Maniac Pumpkin Carvers.

It’s a business that creates detailed, hand-carved pumpkin art for clients across the country.

They’ve worked with big names like museums and national brands, and now want to grow beyond custom work.

They pitched their next step: School of Pumpkin, an online learning platform that teaches people how to carve pumpkins like pros.

Their goal is to move people away from simple jack-o’-lanterns and into more advanced designs.

Marc shared that they offer virtual classes and carving tutorials, and eventually want to launch a full product line of carving tools.

So far, they’ve only recommended tools they personally use, but they want to develop their own branded kits.

During the pandemic, they shifted to online services. In the last three years, they made over $170,000 from virtual class sales and another $90,000 from tool kits.

Last year alone, they brought in $294,000, including custom carvings, classes, and live events.

Kevin O’Leary asked how they carved detailed portraits and whether lasers were involved. Marc said all their work is done by hand.

Mark Cuban asked how much it would cost to get Kevin’s face carved so he could smash it for Halloween. Marc quoted $600 to $800. Mark said that the price was worth it.

Guest shark Jason Blum brought up the seasonal nature of the business and asked how they handled that.

In response, Chris said their busiest time is now a full quarter, not just a few weeks. They start with custom corporate orders in August and continue through October.

During the peak season, they hire a team of artists to help meet demand.

Barbara Corcoran asked why they hadn’t expanded beyond pumpkins into something like sand sculptures. She didn’t see the business growing and went out.

Kevin said it wasn’t scalable and passed. Mark didn’t think online pumpkin carving classes would take off.

Lori Greiner felt the carving tools market was too competitive. Jason said he admired their talent but didn’t think mass production would suit them long-term.

With no offers on the table, Marc and Chris left without a deal.

Now that we understand how the negotiations went, let’s get a Maniac Pumpkin Carvers update to see how the company is doing.

Shark Tank Maniac Pumpkin Carvers Update

Research for our Maniac Pumpkin Carvers update shows that the business is based in New York and is still carving pumpkins full-time.

From what we saw, they’re not just doing Halloween art. They offer custom carvings for pets, people, logos, and even live events.

They also do photo shoots and time-lapse video projects. Some of their pumpkins go for as low as $150, and the more detailed sculpted ones can go over $800.

They’ve worked with big-name clients like BMW USA, Yankee Stadium, Food Network, MoMA, the Whitney Museum, Martha Stewart, and Dave & Buster’s. They also carved at Luna Park in Coney Island.

They run public and corporate carving classes, both in-person and online. They’ve also said they plan to launch an online pumpkin carving school, but that hasn’t dropped yet.

We found more info on their Instagram, where they post their latest pieces. Marc has appeared on Outrageous Pumpkins as a guest judge, and both of them once competed and won on Halloween Wars on Food Network.

When the carving season slows down, Marc and Chris still work as full-time artists. They do murals and other creative projects all year round.

So while they didn’t walk away with a shark, they’ve clearly carved out their own lane.

If we get any more news on a Maniac Pumpkin Carvers update, we’ll let you know.

In the meantime, check out our other updates from the companies featured on Season 15 Episode 5:

• Thrill Builders Update
• I love Chamoy Update
• American Ghost Walks Update

Before you go, be sure to check out our list of all the Shark Tank Season 15 products.