[3] Introduced in the year 1998, Homies were initially sold in grocery store vending machines and have become a highly collectible item, and have spawned many imitation toys.

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.

[3] According to Gonzales, he has received orders from countries in Europe, South America, and Africa requesting Homies characters representing people from those continents.

[4] 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?")

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.

[8] Similarly, Latino advocacy groups such as the Imagen Foundation objected to the Homies portrayal of Chicanos as "gang members, undocumented, or drug dealers.

Through “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.

[1] In 2007, the Pasadena Museum of California Art produced an exhibition called “Beyond Ultraman: Seven Artists Explore the Vinyl Frontier," which featured the Homies characters.

In 2004, Gonzales created Mijos, a line of figurines portrayed as Latino kids, babies, and teens intended for a younger customer base.

[10] Other spin-off toys include The Palermos, a line featuring a fictional Italian American former mafia family now running a pizzeria;[11] and a Trailer Park series.

In the Season 1 finale episode of The Venture Bros, "Return to Spider-Skull Island", Dr. Orpheus acquires a "Homeboy" figurine from a diner's vending machine, a clear reference to the Homies figures.