[calorie]

@indie: try changing your skin's background attributes to inline style like so:

<!-- example -->

<!-- from --> <td background="images/misc/foobar.gif">

<!-- to --> <td style="background-image: url(images/misc/foobar.gif);">

@nitro: if you change the hook to global_start, then the thumbs variable set in the plugin should be available for use in vB templates. Can't say whether this translates to the CMS you are using and its templates.