Fillmore pumpkin patch owner creates Pumpkinstein

FILLMORE, Calif. -- The spirit of Frankenstein has taken root in a Fillmore field, producing a crop that's sprouting up just in time for Halloween.

The beastly giant has become the face of pumpkins planted here, a mad creation called Pumpkinstein.

It's the brainchild of Tony Dighera, owner of Cinagro Farms.

"It could have been a witch, it could have been anything associated with Halloween, but I thought, I want to make a face. Some kind of face would be cool, so it was kind of a natural choice," Dighera said.

Pumpkinstein was an instant hit.

"Immediately, they don't think it's real. They think it's a candle or plastic or something," he said. "When they realize that you can actually make a piece of fruit do that, they're amazed."

Just like the mythical mad scientist's creation of Frankenstein, Dighera says it took a lot of trial and error to finally get Pumpkinstein to live.

"We spent five years of just, almost to the point of giving up, because we just couldn't get it done," he said.

Dighera says the sun and bugs destroyed crop after crop before he finally got it right.

"I knew I could do it ... I just didn't know if I was going to have the resources to hang on long enough to make sure it worked," Dighera said.

Dighera says Pumpkinstein is so wildly popular that supply cannot meet demand. He has orders to pump out upwards of 80,000 of the Pumpkinsteins.