|
| |
The Homies Hip Hop Show on LATV
Everyone knows the Homies. We all have been at the laundry mat, or local
hamburger stand and even our neighborhood liquor store and found that fifty-cent machine that introduced us all to the Homies. A two-inch figurine that looks like people we all know in our hood. Now LATV takes the bold move into launching a one hour Homies Hip-Hop Show that launches this Thursday at 8pm on LATV. Repeating an encore performance on the following Tuesday.
Homies can be traced to the creator David Gonzales who out doodling in High
School cartoon version of himself in the comic strip "The Adventures of Chico
Loco," later renamed "The Adventures of Hollywood," after Gonzales' nickname.
Hollywood and his friends Smiley, Pelon, and Bobby Loco starred in what became the original Homies comic strip, which ran as a regular feature in Lowrider magazine.
According to David, "In an inner-city world plagued by poverty, oppression,
violence, and drugs, the Homies have formed a strong and binding cultural support system that enables them to overcome the surrounding negativity and allows for laughter and good times as an anecdote for reality. The word "Homies" itself is a popular street term that refers to someone from your hometown or, in a broader sense, anyone that you would acknowledge as your friend. In use in the West Coast Latino community for decades, the word "Homies" has crossed over into the now mainstream Hip-Hop street culture..."
Now, under the direction of Rick Najera (VP of Development) and talented writers Oskar Toruño, Jason Nieves and Rene Sandoval, LATV has brought these popular figurines to their bilingual network as the first Latino Stop Motion Comedy Show in television history. In fact, the Homies figurine line has sold over 200 million figurines worldwide. As David Gonzales explains, "Fans are from all over the world. I have received letters from people as far as Russia, England, the Homies phenomena is worldwide."
Rick Najera, head of Current Programming and Development at LATV, is responsible for developing this show and bringing the characters to life. According to Rick, "Homies are one of the most popular icons in America and are loved by the Hip Hop culture of America. It seems like a no brainier to make David Gonzales’s Homies into a TV Show. But, unfortunately, it was a difficult task. We faced a lot of opposition getting this on the tube. People who are not familiar with Latino or Urban Culture view Homies as a threat. We’ve made The Homies Hip Hop Show into a positive and entertaining comedy show produced and written by Latinos, who understand Latino culture. Carlos Mencia show on Comedy Central with their big budgets has less latino writers than us. At LATV we are about empowering and fostering Latino voices."
Homies Hip Hop Show is on LATV, a station that has just launched nationally and
reaches approximately 13 million homes including Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas and California. LATV is a network that is headed by the only Latino making
developments for television, comedy writer Rick Najera who's credits include "In Living Color", "Mad TV" and "Latinologues", the first all Latino play on Broadway. According to Oskar Toruño, "Rick Najera plays a vital role in the future on Latino Entertainment. Having a Latino in a development role allows us a chance to create compelling, authentic programming that "ALL LATINOS" can watch and enjoy and the great part about it, the best is yet to come."
"We are going to be wild and funny and for once on TV, Latinos are going to have fun with Latinos", exclaims Nicholas Romero, animator of Homies Show. The produced skits for The Homies Show are already a hit on LATV, tripling its ratings on LATV Live’s Hip Hop Friday with such skits as Mex in the City, Homie Dog Whisperer and Homies at the Cine. These are skits take Latino pop culture and celebrate its diversity, while entertaining audiences nationwide.
The Homies Hip Hop Show is a simple concept but at the same time, progressive and revolutionary because it has so much significance in the Latino community through David Gonzales, Rick Najera, LATV and its large television audience made up of Latino Americans.
Homies Hip Hop Show debuts this Thursday September 13, 2007 at 9pm exclusively on LATV. Can’t wait? Check out the clips at The Homies on LATV.com or visit myspace.com/homiestvshow
|
|
|
|
