Homies are a series of two-inch plastic collectible figurines representing various Chicano Mexican American characters. The line of toys was created by David Gonzales and based on a comic strip that Gonzales created featuring a cast of characters from his youth. 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.

Gonzales began drawing comics while he was in high school. 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. 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. 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 English language slang term found in American urban culture, with the word "homeboy" meaning a male friend from back home. In use in the West Coast Latino community for decades, the word "homie" has crossed over into the mainstream culture.

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 1998, Gonzales released the first set of Homies figurines, initially sold in supermarket vending machines located in Chicano communities. The first series featured the male characters Eight Ball, Smiley, Big Loco, Droopy, Sapo, and Mr. Raza. The toys were widely popular, with the first series selling a million Homies figures in four months.

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. Law enforcement entities pressured retailers to stop selling Homies; as a result, many mainstream stores, such as Walmart and Safeway, stopped selling the toys.

In response, Gonzales repeatedly explained that he "did not create Homies to glamorize gang life." He created stories for each of the characters on the Homies 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.

According to Gonzales, he has received orders from countries in Europe, South America, and Africa requesting Homies characters representing people from those continents. By 2005, the Homies line featured female characters, as well as characters with Puerto Rican, Filipino, and Japanese backgrounds. There have been 14 series of Homies, with more than 200 characters.

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. 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. As befitting these characters from the barrio, many Homies wear bandanas and baggy pants. The four main Homies are Hollywood (based on creator Gonzales), Smiley, Pelon, and Bobby Loco.