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One of
Gonzales’s brothers, Robert, has become peripherally involved in the Homies toy line. After a life of crime and violence, Robert became a priest. Himself using a wheelchair, Robert suggested that Gonzales create a Homie in a wheelchair. Willie G, as the character was named, has since become
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website, with each one embodying a positive trait. Stores quickly returned the Homies to their shelves; the resulting media coverage of the controversy helped Homies gain ever more popularity. The toys were widely popular, with the first series selling a million Homies figures in four months.
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Gonzales repeatedly explained that he “did not create Homies to glamorize gang life.” Met with the challenge of re-imagining his characters, he went back to the drawing board and gave each individual Homies character an inspiring biography. He created stories for each characters on the Homies
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Gonzales claims that after he re-invented the Homies characters, police representatives have introduced themselves at public functions and individual police officers have even ordered Homies figures from him personally.
282:. Through Robert's “El Padrecito’s Online Church,” Homies have made it easier for society to connect with those looking to improve their lives; on the website people can create religious figurines, such as saints.
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278:. In addition, the Homie character Padrecito ("priest") resembles Robert, and has been used to connect with and help those looking for a route out of the
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By 2013, Gonzales had shifted his focus once again to apparel, creating the T-shirt brand DGAtees, featuring his own art as well as his son
Anthony's.
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in
Chicano communities throughout California. Gonzales initially had trouble selling his product, in particular because the
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elementary school, Gonzales begged his parents to put him in a local public high school because the art program was better.
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201:. It was at that point that Gonzales shifted direction from T-shirts to toy design. He released the first set of
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toy line of youth characters related to the Homies. Also in 2004, Gonzales introduced a toy line named
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Gonzales was one of five brothers who were very close. He grew up in a tough, impoverished
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505:"Homies go from figurines to branding phenomenon: Richmond native has runaway success,"
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on T-shirts and other products, which he and his wife sold at local beach stands,
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guys." The main character, based on
Gonzales himself, was called "Hollywood."
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178:. Under the Gonzales Graphics name, Gonzales also sold shirts geared toward "
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Macias, Chris. "Barrio Boon: Mijos
Figures Are All The (Commercial) Rage,"
393:"Where the Heart Is: With Homies, gangsta is in the eye of the beholder,"
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324:"David Gonzales Art - Creator of the Homies: Lowrider Draw the Line,"
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Gonzales lived in Taos from 1994 to 1998, when he moved back to the
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Gonzales has three grown children. After living for many years in
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411:"Homie Sweet Homie: Sexy urban icons have New Mexico roots,"
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one of the more popular Homies, even being promoted by the
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life. In response, many stores stopped selling the Homies.
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In the early 90s
Gonzales began drawing characters from
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designer, and toy designer. He is the creator of the
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153:when it was picked up as a monthly feature by the
430:"Two-Inch Latino Role Models, for Good or Ill,"
126:Gonzales began drawing comics while he was in
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573:People from Contra Costa County, California
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452:"Homies Figures: The Original Homies"
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130:. His amateur comic strip was called
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558:American artists of Mexican descent
475:"Homies in the New Latino Diaspora"
473:Wortham, Stanton (1 January 2011).
190:imagery, and illustrations of the
134:and the characters were based on "
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568:People from Richmond, California
216:claimed that the toys glorified
47:, apparel designer, toy designer
359:"'Homies' are Where His Art Is"
357:Becerra, Hector (18 Dec 2007).
231:In 2004, Gonzales released the
81:http://www.davidgonzalesart.com
266:, by 2013 he had relocated to
143:California College of the Arts
119:neighborhood. After attending
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491:10.1016/j.langcom.2011.02.007
450:Alonso, Alex (May 12, 2000).
214:Los Angeles Police Department
132:The Adventures of Chico Loco,
168:The Adventures of Hollywood
151:The Adventures of Hollywood
30:1964 (age 59–60)
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239:, featuring a fictional
563:Artists from California
508:San Francisco Chronicle
75:Andres, Monica, Anthony
247:family now running a
264:Hercules, California
93:Richmond, California
33:Richmond, California
416:(February 4, 2009).
268:Southern California
329:2015-01-03 at the
192:Mexican Revolution
141:Gonzales attended
503:Sullivan, James.
454:. StreetGangs.com
414:Santa Fe Reporter
95:) is an American
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526:Official website
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510:(June 10, 2003).
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428:Napolitano, Jo.
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400:(Apr. 10, 2003).
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336:(June 18, 2013).
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276:Special Olympics
241:Italian American
210:vending machines
117:Mexican-American
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331:Wayback Machine
322:Mendoza, Beto.
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302:(Aug. 3, 2004).
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485:(3): 191–202.
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435:(May 1, 2003).
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121:Roman Catholic
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107:line of toys.
91:(born 1964 in
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456:. Retrieved
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66:The Palermos
548:1964 births
397:Metroactive
391:Bir, Sara.
207:supermarket
128:high school
542:Categories
286:References
172:swap meets
97:cartoonist
45:cartoonist
16:Cartoonist
533:Homies.tv
186:designs,
182:," with
111:Biography
458:28 March
368:28 March
363:LA Times
334:Lowrider
327:Archived
249:pizzeria
199:Bay Area
160:Lowrider
155:San Jose
72:Children
243:former
188:Pachuco
180:La Raza
157:-based
147:Oakland
101:apparel
40:Area(s)
280:ghetto
203:Homies
176:Homies
136:barrio
105:Homies
58:Homies
245:mafia
233:Mijos
184:Aztec
62:Mijos
460:2012
370:2012
218:gang
27:Born
487:doi
145:in
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