As befitting these characters from the barrio, many Homies wear bandanas and baggy pants. In an inner-city world plagued by poverty, violence, and drugs, the Homies form a strong and binding cultural support system that enables them to overcome the surrounding negativity, allowing for laughter and good times as an antidote to reality. In their fictional world, the Homies are a group of tightly knit Chicano buddies who grew up in the Mexican-American barrio of "Quien Sabe" ("Who knows?") located in East Los Angeles.
#LIL HOMIES CHARACTERS SERIES#
There have been 13 series of Homies, with more than 200 characters. By 2005, the Homies line featured female characters, as well as characters with Puerto Rican, Filipino, and Japanese backgrounds. Īccording to Gonzales, he has received orders from countries in Europe, South America, and Africa requesting Homies characters representing people from those continents. Stores quickly returned the Homies to their shelves the resulting media coverage of the controversy helped Homies gain ever more popularity.
He created stories for each of the characters on the Homies website, with each one embodying a positive trait. In response, Gonzales repeatedly explained that he “did not create Homies to glamorize gang life”. Law enforcement entities pressured retailers to stop selling Homies as a result, many mainstream stores, such as Walmart and Safeway Inc., stopped selling the toys. The figures caused controversy after their initial release as members of the Los Angeles Police Department argued that the "urban, inner-city Latino" figures glorified gang life. The toys were widely popular, with the first series selling a million Homies figures in four months. The first series featured the male characters Eight Ball, Smiley, Big Loco, Droopy, Sapo, and Mr. In 1998, Gonzales released the first set of Homies figurines, initially sold in supermarket vending machines located in Chicano communities. Gonzales began drawing his humorous characters on T-shirts and other products, which he and his wife sold on local beach stands, swap meets, liquor stores, and eventually urban clothing stores. In use in the West Coast Latino community for decades, the word "homie" has crossed over into the mainstream culture.) More and more barrio characters from Gonzales' experiences were introduced to the public through the Hollywood strip - these became "Homies." (The word "homie" is an African-American slang from the southern United States, meaning someone from "back home".
The main character, based on Gonzales himself, was called "Hollywood." The strip, which later changed its title to The Adventures of Hollywood, was picked up by Lowrider magazine and published monthly. His amateur comic strip was called The Adventures of Chico Loco, and the characters were based on " barrio guys," as Gonzales grew up on the tough streets of a poverty-ridden Mexican-American neighborhood.
#LIL HOMIES CHARACTERS PLUS#
Lil' homies on the ride Niggas gonna die tonight, let's get high tonight Lil' homies on the mash Runnin' from these punk police ‘Cause lil' niggas run the streets Lil' homies on the ride Niggas gonna die tonight, let's get high tonight Lil' homies on the mash Runnin' from these punk police ‘Cause lil' niggas run the streets "First 2 Bomb," "16 On Death Row" Bustin' on them phony mothafuckas ‘cause the big homie said so Niggas knew I was a nutcase, quick to blast Livin' underage, but he'll blaze on your bitch-ass Is there a heaven for a G? And if it is, will I finally get to be at peace? On these streets ain't no peace, shell-shocked souls Makin' money off of crack sales Young black male unable to change ‘cause it's a cycle Plus nobody knows the evil that they might do Lil' Mu', Big Yak, K.Gonzales began drawing comics while he was in high school. Lil' homies on the ride Niggas gonna die tonight, let's get high tonight Lil' homies on the mash Runnin' from these punk police ‘Cause lil' niggas run the streets Lil' homies on the ride Niggas gonna die tonight, let's get high tonight Lil' homies on the mash Runnin' from these punk police ‘Cause lil' niggas run the streets I remember when you was just a lil' G Flirtin' with death, playin' Russian Roulette, screamin', "Kill me!" Hey there, young nigga, what you smokin' on? Mad at the world ‘cause you came from a broken home? Love the squad plus your mob is sick A bunch of adolescent niggas spittin' major shit Tell me, young nigga, if you die, let me know Would your heart feel pain, watchin' as your mother cries? Will all your homies ride? Or will they all get high, and talk about how you died? Young niggas on a mission to compete Gettin' G's, packin' heat, bringin' havoc to the fuckin' streets Nobody knows why he took a fo'-fo' And unloaded on the whole front row (Buck! Buck! Buck! Buck!) Try to tell him, but he act like he don't know me Pull out his pistol and he show me my lil' homie