improve their lives; on the website people can create religious figurines, such as saints. 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. Since they're roughly 1/32 in scale, and are cheaper and more readily available than the figures purpose-manufactured for the hobby, Homies and Gonzales' other figures are sometimes used in the scenery of slot car layouts. Spin-offs and ancillary products Homies characters have been featured on school folders, lunchboxes, breath mints, and beach towels. Homies have also been seen on posters, stickers, and clothing, and in YouTube videos. With their rising popularity, the Homies line branched out to include die-cast cars, among other things. In 2004, Gonzales created Mijos, a line of figurines portrayed as Latino kids, babies, and teens intended for a younger customer base. Other spin-off toys include The Palermos, a line featuring a fictional Italian American former mafia family now running a pizzeria; and a Trailer Park series. In other media 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. American Dad shows Stan breaking a Fabergé egg and saying, "I thought it would have candy or at least a little homie in there." In 2007, LATV produced a stop-motion animated show about the figures called The Homies Hip Hop Show. Featuring the voices of Karen Anzoategui, Eduardo Arenas, and Wendy Carrillo, the show went straight to DVD. In 2008, the Homie Rollerz video game was released on the Nintendo DS. References External links El Padrecito Ministries Toy figurines Products introduced in 1998 1990s toys 2000s toys Mexican-American culture Toy controversies