The founder of New Mexico Inquisition (NMINQ) is Danger K. Varoz. NMINQ is New Mexico’s only political, satirical news source. It’s was created in the summer of 2016 to entertain and inform the public about local politics. The focus is on real issues, but spun in a positive way for laughs to be had and pertinent information to be understood.
What inspired Varoz to come up with the idea for NMINQ was the national news and Bernie Sanders. “After he lost, there was a video released with him stating that if you were mad about what happened, to get out and get involved in local politics, that you should volunteer, and be an activist,” said Varoz. “I was none of those things, so I decided to do a political comedy show.”
Varoz has a background in comedy, film production and acting, so he decided to marry those together, and out came NMINQ. It just so happened that Danger was also a producer and organizer. “I ended up using those two skills to write jokes. I try to have it be as meaningful as possible at the same time,” he said.
“There is a deep craving for something just like this in New Mexico,” he continued. “People want to know what is going on, but most news is bad news. They don’t want to listen to negative news.” Varoz is right. It seems that there’s a desire to focus on positives and avoid negatives. With avoidance, however, comes the neglect of important issues.
When asked what he’s passionate about, Varoz said he loves getting feedback from fans, especially those who care and are informed about the topics he tackles. “It makes me feel like I’m doing the right thing, especially from people who are non-comedy fans, like when [actress and writer] Sheridan Kay Johnson and I do interviews with older members of the community, who say they like it. Members of the city council and legislature have said they really like the show. It really keeps me going.”
Through comedy, Varoz believes NMINQ can make a difference in getting more news and information to the public to create a better, more informed community. “We also try and advertise other organizations that are involved with local politics, like Southwest Organizing Project and Two Way Street.” NMINQ is a great source of information for those who like to laugh and to be uplifted after hearing the news. Find NMINQ on channel uABQ and YouTube.
