I am by no means a highly skilled customizer, though I know a few tricks of the trade, and at some point I'd rally like to start an official series of customizing tips here on the Action Figures site. So it always amazes me when I see some of the incredible work done by customizer out there, one of whom, who goes by the online moniker of Jin Saotome, has posted several secrets, tips and step-by-step guides that could have you customizing like one of the big boys in no time.

I've been seeing Jin's work around for a while now and am always stunned by the detail and imaginativeness displayed in his custom figures, so I think it's awesome that he cares enough about the craft to share his skills with the rest of the action figure community.

His site includes tutorials and guides that cover everything from beginning to advance general customizing, to painting tips, to what tools to use and how to properly use them to character specific guides, like how to make actual metal claws for your favorite Wolverine!

The guides and tutorials are fun to read, easy to follow and an excellent contribution to the customizing world, so my hat's off to you, Jin. And no, he did not ask me to say any of this. In fact, we've never even spoken, but I just think that when I see something this cool, the word needs to be spread!

Let Jin help you get your custom on by visiting www.jinsaotomesdangeroustoys.com.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all the About: Action Figures readers a safe, fun and happy Thanksgiving. I hope you all eat lots of turkey, then get sleepy, then take the greatest nap you have ever had.

This time of year, we often find ourselves inspired to think about what we are thankful for, and I am, of course, thankful of the usual stuff like my beautiful wife and kids (and by "kids" I mean "cats"), but since this is a site devoted to action figures I thought I'd list a few things in the action figure collecting world that I'm currently thankful for. So here goes.

• The fact that my new He-Man and Scare Glow figures arrived yesterday, safe and sound and they are as awesome as I expected!
• Finally finding a DCUC Wave 10 Batman at Walmart!
• Getting a surprise vintage Darth Vader figure in a package from a fellow collector!
• Action figure stands. (Those little guys fall over all the time!)
• The macro setting on my camera, making for some wicked awesome action figure shots.
• Great toy blogs, like Toyriffic! and Eclectorama, and great action figure forums like Action Figure Archive. They make for some seriously fun online toy surfin'.
• The return of the 3 3/4" action figure, the best scale ever!

I'll be the first person to look the world in the eye and unwaveringly declare my love for the classic 1981 movie, Clash of the Titans, with it's epic battles, beheaded gorgons and towering Kraken, so I'm more than a little excited about the upcoming remake. I'm not one of those people that possess an aversion to remakes or renditions because I know that things like adventure movies are like the fireside tales of old and should be retold and embellished, honed and reshaped to fit the changing times. So I say bring it on!

I do, however, have mixed feelings about NECA's upcoming release of the remake-accurate Perseus figure. On one had, it looks beautiful, as most NECA figures, do, which sometimes make me wonder if they possess some sort of uncanny voodoo powers to create such exquisite sculpts and sublime paint applications. On the other hand, NECA figures tend to have about as much articulation and rock found in a pond. In fact, what little articulation their figures do have seems practically arbitrary. It's like; why not just make statues instead of an "action figure" that only moves at the neck and the left wrist?

Still, for movie fans and NECA collectors alike, the release of the Perseus figure is music to our ears. And if you can't wait to get your hands on a bonafide Medusa-killing collectible, you can pre-order the figure at Big Bad Toy Store right now. Now, bring on the Kraken!

As sick as I am of looking at the current waves of G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra figure (City Strike Snake Eyes, where are you?!), I still can't help getting a little excited when I we all get a sneak peek of upcoming figures. And thanks to two eBay sellers known as handytoy and ws_toys, we're treated to the chance to ogle the latest figures to launch, including Desert Battle Zartan, Jungle Assault Storm Shadow, Arctic Threat Snow Job and Desert Battle Ripcord, the latter of which looks so incredibly sweet that many collectors and G.I. Joe fans are already dribbling drool all over their keyboards.

I don't know how these people got their hands on these currently unreleased figures and I don't care. I won't be attempting a purchase because I like to wait until I see them in person on the toy shelves whenever possible before buying them, and I'm also a little suspicious about the validity of the figures. So I have some trust issues.

Still, this is one of those excellent cases where eBay comes through for us all getting a glimpse of some never-before-seen (or at least rarely-before-seen) figures. Pics of these figures have made the rounds of the various blogs and forums before, most taken on blurry cell-phone cameras at conventions and toy shows. The Zartan figure alone looks very familiar to me.

Basically, this all boils down to the fact that one day, if we G.I. Joe fans wish hard enough, that the same gazillion Dukes, Destros, Heavy Dutys and Baronesses will quit warming our toy aisle pegs and make room for some all-new figures that practically ooze coolness.

Swing on by the Terror Dome and treat your eyeballs to some serious 1:18 scale awesomeness.