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At first glance, this carving how-to from The Des Moines Register offers a simple, friendly guide on pumpkin carving and seed roasting. It advises you to “pick a pumpkin with an appealing shape.” It drops hints on “transluscent carving” and passes on a few secrets about prolonging the life of your gourd. And it includes a great selection of free, printable templates for jack-o'-lantern images.

But something unexpected lurks. There, among the templates of ghosts and Cheshire cats, among the outlines of goofy faces and gap-toothed leers, you will encounter John Edwards, John McCain, and Barack Obama. Huh? Yes, that’s right: jack-o'-lantern templates of the leading presidential candidates. Want Hillary Clinton glowing on your front stoop, scaring off the neighborhood children? You got it. Prefer a flickering image of Rudy Giuliani to induce a shriek in friends passing by? Look no further. We don’t know who at the Iowa paper thought of including Democrats and Republicans among the roster of ghosts, owls, and witches, but we heartily approve. Halloween just got a little more humorous.