Israel Castillo

Marino. I met Marino through the Emo Brown community, and we became instant friends. He creates action figures rooted in Chicano culture and pop culture — really unique work.

We don’t get to see each other as often these days, but when we do, it’s always great catching up. If you’re not familiar with his work, definitely check it out. Thanks for taking the time to stand for a portrait.

Hey all. I’m Marino Gomez, born and raised here in San Diego. Sherman Heights. I’m proud to be a Union Electrical Apprentice with Local 569, an Artist and one of many local idiots here in San Diego. I love my family, friends and music so so much.

I started making bootleg toys around the time I first met Izzy through Emo Brown back around 2020 or so. I’d come across others doing toys up online and after a while I’d have my own ideas come up. Most of my life I was too unsure to do anything creatively but eventually had the creative urge like never before and couldn’t help but think “I could do that shit”. I’d taken a computer art class in highschool and that was about as far my experience went with anything relevant to making these.

Toys in itself are a callback to our childhood. We enjoy them and are expected to put them down at an undetermined point in our life and move onto whatever’s next. I feel like making toys that are relevant to my own upbringing and what I’m into nowadays has been a sweet lil niche for myself. Doing these up kinda helps me retain a certain part of myself in some way I guess. I’m happy to share what I make with the hope that others can find a similar joy in seeing a silly photo of these frankenstein’d toys I’ve made come across their screen. @garinomomez