With 40872 Halloween Pumpkin Lantern delivering a great Halloween model to build, here is a look at how LEGO pumpkins have changed over the years…
LEGO pumpkins have been around for years and with the spooky Halloween atmosphere in full swing, it’s the perfect moment to see how they have changed over time.
According to Celtic mythology, a man nicknamed Stingy Jack was cursed to forever wander the lands with only an ember burning inside a turnip to light his way – so carving root vegetables has its origins in the pagan festival of Samhain. The scary faces on the lanterns were believed to ward away Jack and other restless spirits, they were made to protect homes. This was then later adapted to pumpkins and they have since become one of the most recognisable icons of Halloween.
Pumpkin carving has become an art form, with competitions around the world, proving that the canvas doesn’t matter as long as you are creative. In a similar way, LEGO sets have crafted pumpkins from plastic through the years, each more detailed than the last. Blocks is taking a stroll through the pumpkin patch to see how they have grown…
One of the first LEGO sets to feature a pumpkin was not actually dedicated to pumpkins at all. 3047 Halloween Bucket from 1998 is simply a selection of bricks inspired by the autumn season in a mixture of reds, yellows and oranges. The inspiration booklet that comes with it suggests two ways to make pumpkins out of the orange bricks – both use a flat method to create the silhouette and negative space for the eyes and mouth. While it is extremely simple, it works really well and this technique endured for more than a decade.
The exact same technique is in 2011’s 40020 Halloween Set. This set features three classic spooky icons: a ghost, a bat, and a pumpkin. It is a very small seasonal model so only a few bricks were dedicated to the pumpkin, though the use of cheese slopes to replicate jagged teeth adds a little more detail. Rather than being limited to smiling or downturned expressions, the introduction of smaller curved or sloped pieces starts to add a bit more personality.
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40055 Halloween Pumpkin adds greater variation to the carved expression of the pumpkin. It was released in 2013. This was the first time that the gourd was rendered in three dimensions. Although this one is quite blocky and square, it still captures the essence of a pumpkin, especially by using a few extra green pieces to suggest the vine at the top.
40260 Halloween Haunt was released in 2017. This set does not have a brick-built pumpkin, instead, this was the first LEGO Halloween set to use the specially moulded pumpkin element that has slanted eyes and a wicked smirk. Up until this point, pumpkins had either been printed onto minifigure heads or other cylindrical elements, so this was a decent upgrade.
Upgrades continue with brick-built pumpkins in 40570 Halloween Cat & Mouse from 2022 (reviewed here) as this set uses a selection of slopes, curved tiles and quarter circle tiles to replicate not only the round shape of a pumpkin, but also the grooves across its skin. It’s a small part of the overall set, especially as the mouse steals the show by sitting on top of the pumpkin, yet the use of so many curved elements enhances the realism.
That realism is what 40697 Halloween Pumpkin (2024) manages to achieve. Built around an internal frame that was then covered in curved tiles and slopes, it looks far rounder than any of its predecessors. By using a plethora of SNOT techniques and building in different directions, the skin is smooth, the different layers suggest the grooves and the only studs that are visible ingeniously double as carved little teeth in the mouth.
All of these improvements and experiments with techniques culminate in 40872 Halloween Pumpkin Lantern, released this year. This latest entry into the LEGO pumpkin patch is the most realistic of them all, with mottled skin, some studs for texture and a rounded shape. It uses a lot of the same techniques as 40697 but with a greater focus on realism and the addition of a light brick in the centre. Pushing the stalk on the top activates the light, making the pumpkin glow as if there’s a candle inside.
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