For nearly two decades, Mexican cartoonist Ricardo Sánchez Bobadilla has cast a satirical eye over the escalating narco wars in Sinaloa, Mexico, despite the profound risks involved. His popular cartoon, featuring two sicarios – cartel gunmen – named El Ñacas and El Tacuachi, offers a dark, humorous commentary on the daily realities of drug trafficking in a region long synonymous with organised crime. Bobadilla, who grew up in the state capital, Culiacán, harnesses the pervasive presence of the drug trade as a rich source for his social commentary and distinctive black humour.
The cartoon's protagonists, the lanky, idea-driven El Ñacas and his stumpy, admiring sidekick El Tacuachi, navigate the absurdities and horrors of the cartel underworld. Early strips saw them grappling with dilemmas such as where to discreetly dispose of a body, eventually resorting to wedging it into a seat in Congress. Over the years, Bobadilla has populated his cartoon universe with a diverse cast of narco-archetypes, from powerful kingpins and corrupt politicians to 'alucines' (wannabe narcos) and 'buchonas' (glamorous girlfriends), all speaking in vivid Sinaloan slang.
Bobadilla's work began around the time former Mexican President Felipe Calderón declared a 'war on drugs', a policy that significantly escalated violence across the country, leading to public displays of brutality. The cartoonist acknowledges that the violence has touched almost everyone in Sinaloa, including his own family. His brother, Miguel, was shot dead outside his home in 2008. Bobadilla recounted being advised by a prosecutor not to pursue the case due to the dangers, though he notes that those responsible for his brother's death were later killed themselves, bringing a form of 'justice'.
The personal toll of this violence has also influenced his art. The murder of his friend and editor at Ríodoce, Javier Valdez, in 2017, further impacted his perspective. Bobadilla reflected on how such killings muzzle journalists, noting that violence has affected colleagues at every newspaper he has worked for. Despite the dangers, and acknowledging that his earlier work might have been more audacious, he maintains his satirical approach, always avoiding the explicit naming of individuals to mitigate risk.
The Sinaloa cartel, one of the world's most powerful organised crime groups, has seen its older generation largely imprisoned or deceased. However, recent years have witnessed an internal conflict among their sons, resulting in over 6,000 deaths or disappearances in the last two years alone. The situation escalated further in April, when the US government accused the governor of Sinaloa and several other high-level officials of ties to the cartel, highlighting the deep-seated corruption and ongoing challenges facing the region.