Homies are a series of 2-inch figurines loosely based
upon Chicano characters in the life of artist David Gonzales.
First created in 1998, these plastic machines were initially
sold via vending machines typically positioned in supermarkets,
but quickly became collectibles among young children through
teenagers. The figures caused controversy after their
initial release, as members of the Los Angeles police
department (LAPD), argued that the figures glorified gang
life. Many stores stopped selling the toys after the LAPD
complained. Gonzales then created a story for each of
the Homies' characters, each of which had a positive view
of the characters. Some of them became former jailmates
who went on to educate children about how to avoid jail,
for example.
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