On top of working a regular job, I worked part-time on a business my friends and I started a few years back called AznFilms.com - a DVD retail site that specializes in Asian cinema. So, I shelved the "Lucifer" figure for three weeks before I finally opened up the box. There was no turning back.
 

I couldn't help but notice how much he looked like one of my favorite actors - Robert De Niro. The figure was nicely detailed - I mean, very, nicely detailed. His clothes are professionally tailored, flash-bang grenades have labels you can read and a handgun with a removable clip. But the one thing that started me with this addiction has got to be his briefcase and sniper rifle . . . which encloses a folding stock rifle that can be assembled piece by piece.

Up until this point, I'd always hear arguments by so many people that 12 inch figures are not very detailed and that McFarlane figures have the best detail. For the most part, that is still pretty true. McFarlane Toys have some impressive sculptors, but they lack one essential thing - ARTICULATION. With McFarlane figures, they're pretty cool to display. It's excellent to look at and leave on the shelf, but that's about the extent of it. With 12" figures, you can fully customize everything to your liking. Guns can cock back, backpacks can open, shoes can be tied, clothing is made out of cloth and even swords are made from stainless steel. They are very real.

After I received the "Lucifer" figure from BBI, I thought that was the end of it. It was a great figure, but there wasn't much to keep an "adult" like me interested to buy another figure. The small turning point came when I embarked on the CY Girls. The very first 12 inch figure I bought for myself was BBI's "Nikki" CY Girl figure. Boy was I hooked.

I had finally and officially owned my first 12 inch figure and I enjoyed it immensely. But that wasn't the start of my customizing career, however. In my search for more CY Girl items and what not, I embarked on a site that would forever change my views on the 1/6th hobby . . . SyxxSix6.com. Syxx's site was awesome. Prior to looking at his website, I always thought that people were just happy with what they bought. I didn't realize that people can actually move items around (known as "kitbashing") to make a new figure or completely build items from scratch (customizing), or a combination of both. I e-mailed Syxx with a few questions about where he bought this and that and within a few hours, he responded to me very courteously. He even introduced me to a forum called the "Men With Dolls," started by Mark Volk, Jr. Definitely check out the MWD board if you're reading this because MWD is a valuable resource for info and just a very fun place to be overall.