Controversial Toys

Among the three bagsfull of stuff I bought thrifting yesterday (most of it was clothes) was a $1.99 bag of Simpsons figures that I picked up for Kiddo.

Now, Simpsons aren't controversial, but in amongst them were two smaller figures, one marked Homie TM, CHINA and the other Homies TM, CHINA on the back.

Curious, I looked up "homies, figures" and discovered they were controversial when they were first released in 1998 by artist David Gonzales. The two I have, Mr. Pit and Officer Placa, are from the 3rd and 4th series respectively, and are now both "retired." The figures are tiny -- only about 1 3/4 inches tall -- and very detailed. Needless to say, I'm keeping these two. More info on the Official Homies Site.




tags: David Gonzalez, designer toys, toy controversy, Los Angeles, race relations