Not every cartoonist gets his characters emblazoned on everything from t-shirts to hotly-collected toys. David Gonzalez's 'Homies' -- 2-inch collectible toys based on the barrio he grew up in -- have done just that, and now, they're making their way onto video games in the form of 'Homie Rollerz' for the DS. We had a Q&A with the man himself.

Why did you choose the Nintendo DS for the first Homies game?

[I chose the DS] because of the rising popularity of the Nintendo DS and for the fact that a lot of Homies collectors already have the system. And so the price to buy the game could also be more economical for our fans.

David Gonzalez and his Homies. Click to see more images from the game...

What kind of impact do you see Homies and Homies Rollerz having on kids that may pick up the game?

Hours of fun playing and the ability to see one of their favorite collectable hobbies enter a new level of interaction.

Which Homie in the game is your favorite?

Hollywood ... because it's me!

How would the video game appeal to someone who isn't familiar with the Homies brand?

Building cool cars and racing them on wild challenging tracks has an appeal to most young people that are into video games, not just fans of the Homies brand.

Are there characters that you've created specifically for the game?

There's a guy named Hopalong who is missing a leg. It is the wish of Willie G to win and earn him a new prosthetic leg.

Will we be seeing other Homies-branded video games?

We'll see!

Why do these characters appeal to people?

A lot of my collectors see themselves and people they know or have known in the Homies family of characters.

People have argued that the Homies characters glorify gang life. What's your response to that?

Homies are a reflection of a Barrio community with everyone from Lowriders and Cholos to Police officers, from teachers to and firemen to nurses and activists. The bios and back stories of the characters are quite the opposite and attempt to steer readers away from a gang lifestyle and the bad consequences that would bring about.