04/28/04
I can't believe I'm writing another column so soon.  But the topic is so tempting I can't resist.  The following are actually my thoughts carried over from a recent chat session I had with some friends over at the Men With Dolls Forum.  Whether you believe it or not, I still do chat and post at various Internet forums - especially the Men With Dolls Forum.  A lot of times, people who admire my work catch me in chat and just get shocked to death.  Don't be.  I'm just another guy who likes toys.  Two, three years from now, you'll look back and see yourself where I am now . . . just another guy who likes toys while other newer collectors admire your figures.  While some people admire my figures and projects, others might not care for them.  Some might think I do pretty good figures while I think I have a lot more to learn compared to some of the customizers I do idolize.

That brings us to the topics at hand. . . the dual questions presented are "who inspires you most in this hobby" and "who would you give thanks to for learning what you've learned?"

Every mountain, no matter how high, will be topped by a bigger mountain.  This Chinese proverb rings true always.  There is no real title for "God of Customizing."  The term "God of Customizing" is something carried over from the Chinese culture.  The Chinese, whenever they want to give praise to someone, would say "he's the God of Cooking" or "he's the God of Oil Changing."  It's a funny way of praising someone you highly respect.  Don't take it at face value (you can't imagine how many emails I get from people about that - who gets that title and why, etc.).  There is no rank, title or value in customizing toys.  It's a hobby for crying out loud.

To be honest, "everyone" inspires me.  While some customizers do great work time and time again, there is no guarantee that what they will do will impact you. I've been completely stunned by brand new collectors or people who have never sculpted or painted before and then produce a figure that is just jaw dropping.  Just because you've done a lot of customizing doesn't make you great, it just makes you better over the long run.  To make a long story short, every customizer has their own style and finesse that makes their figures "theirs" and that's what sets them apart.  You can ask ten different people to customize, say, Indiana Jones, and you will get ten completely different figures.  That is the true beauty of customizing.  The uniqueness of each figure is brought forth by its creator.  In essence, a complete newbie to the hobby can produce something just as valuable and creative to the table as one who has been in the hobby for over a decade.  That's why I continue to chat and talk with newer collectors because there is still a lot of things that I do not know about that others might.  Besides, it's a lot of fun to meet and talk with people with your own tastes and interests.

While this may sound like an Academy moment and I feel somewhat silly to do this, I'd like to give thanks to some of the people that inspired and continue to push the envelope for me most:

1.  Jimbobwan:  the man that made me realize that "it's just a hobby."  Visiting his site several times a day when I first started, I never really bothered to read what he wrote.  I just looked at the pictures and said "hey that's cool" and then move on and did what I did.  But then one day, I began to read about his escapades on making his figures and realized this man is a true genius.  Jimbobwan tried, failed, tried again and failed again, but he kept going at it.  Some might call it insanity, but I call it passion.  Jim's site is one of the biggest reasons why I put up this website.  If I could inspire and turn at least a few more collectors like me, I'd feel that it's all worthwhile and return the thanks to Jim for his inspiring work.  You can check out Jim's site at: JimBobWan

2.  Hayashi:  While I couldn't understand a single word on Hayashi's site, the progress pictures that he did put up made me realize that if you kept going at it long enough, you will probably reach the point where he's at.  The things Hayashi's done three years ago, I'm only starting to try now.  You can check out Hayashi's site here: Hayashi

3.  CySeamstress:  the continual help and motivation I get from this woman cannot be measured.  She is one of the most prolific customizers of the CYGirls I know of.  She taught me that sewing is not only a woman's skill and that it can be learned if you have the balls to try it.  She also has a lot of vision and style that is similar to mine and has an extremely high tolerance for learning new things.  If I can only sew as good as she can, I'd be a happy, happy man.  CySeamstress site is here: CYSeamstress.

4.  Masked Angels:  another Japanese customizer whom I greatly admire.  While not too many people follow Masked Angels' site, his works inspire me the most because of his versatility.  Ningyoushi (Masked Angel's handle) mixed very, very different mediums into the hobby.  Hair gluing, sculpting, sewing, painting, etc. were all mixed together.  While some customizers were very good at certain things like painting only or sewing only, Ningyoushi had an equal amount of talent in every field.  He also customizes and makes his own line of Manga-styled figures that are created by him.  Ningyoushi made me want to learn new and different things and be just as versatile in everything and not just focus on one or two skills.  You can check out his website here:  Masked Angels

5.  Jirevan:  the "God of Reroots" as I'd like to call him.  No matter how hard I try, I cannot reproduce a Jirevan reroot job.  While some people may laugh when I say that, thinking that a hair reroot is all the same, you'd really have to hold a Jirevan reroot in your hand to know the difference.  Getting a factory job reroot and face paint and one from J is really a world of a difference.  I jump at every opportunity I get to commission J into a joint project because the paint job and hair reroot by him is simply a work of art.  I've commissioned a lot of reroots and I've also done my own hair rooting, but as I mentioned, they are nowhere near as good as a Jirevan job.  In several emails, he was also the one who encouraged me to try and root hair myself so a thanks is obviously due here.  He doesn't have a website but you can view his figures through the Men With Dolls, Fantasy Net and the 1/6 Action Figure Board.

This list of people to give thanks to can go on and on, but these five are the main people I'd bow my head down to any time.  The hobby is forever changing with new collectors bringing something to the table every day.  So Jim, Hayashi, Brenda, J and Ningyoushi, if you're reading this, I thank you with all my heart.  The talent and inspiration you bring to this hobby simply cannot be measured.