CHAPTER MEMBERS met in Kingsland, Texas, to catch up and celebrate Bill Hinds and the 50th anniversary of his comic strip Tank McNamara.

Joining Bill were members Paul Anderson, chapter vice chair Jesse Atwell, chapter chair Hector Cantu, Bill Hinds, Sam Hurt, Kevin Middleton and Milburn Taylor. Additional guests were political cartoonist M. Scott Byers and cartoonist, artist and author Marian Henley (Maxine).

The location was Bill’s family place on the Colorado River just northwest of Austin.

Tank McNamara debuted on Aug. 5, 1974, with Jeff Millar as writer and Hinds as illustrator. Hinds took over writing after the death of Millar in November 2012.

The title character is a local sports television reporter who used to be a defensive lineman in the National Football League, hence his nickname. The strip focuses primarily on contemporary American athletics, which allows it to remain topical and also to dabble in related subjects such as politics and social issues.

Sam Hurt, Marian Henley, Paul Anderson, Bill Hinds, Jesse Atwell and Hector Cantu (from left).