Pair for the Course

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Pictured, from left to right: Michael Duranko and Marty Glass of Golf-Toons. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

From the classic golfer’s tan to service dogs on the hunt for stray balls, no golfing reality or fantasy lies out of reach for cartoonist Marty Glass and marketeer Michael Duranko, the brains behind Golf-Toons. A side-hustle between these long-time golfing buddies, the cartoon venture is now in full swing after it recently surpassed 1,000 followers on Instagram, appealing to golfers, observers and the unathletic alike. And while golf and cartooning may seem a finite pairing, life lessons and inside jokes like capturing the “Infamous Just-A-Wee-Bit Short Pose” have yet to miss the green. “There’s a lot more to be tapped here,” says Glass. “I never would’ve thought [golf] would yield so much material.”

With cold beverages in hand after a round with their golf league, the dynamic duo realized their potential: Duranko brainstorms the topics and Glass brings them to life. In a New Yorker black and white, distinct style, somewhat reminiscent of Gary Larson’s The Far Side, Glass creates everything from golf moms to mid-life golf crises: “I have to break 80 before I’m 40,” thinks one Golf-Toon on the fairway. First with a pencil sketch then with a Rotring Cartridge or old fashioned dip pens, Glass illustrates the golf life that both he and Duranko wish to celebrate. It can take one draft or 30, but the partnership maintains high hopes for the future. “We intend to become wealthy from this,” says Glass, cheekily referencing Charles Schultz while fantasizing of assistants and fellow writers. “Our goal is a Saturday morning cartoon or a Netflix show,” adds Duranko. And Sarasota seems the perfect spot to tee off.

Wary of excluding any golf skeptics, Duranko provides an accompanying blog post with every Golf-Toon, breaking down the game and jokes for those on and off the green. After joining the golfing community at ages seven, both Glass and Duranko hope to share what their fathers taught them: a love for the sport that ages perfectly with you. And while Duranko has traveled the many greens of the world, spanning everywhere from Ireland to Pebble Beach, his favorite course hailed no hesitation: Sara Bay Country Club in Sarasota, Florida. With Sarasotans in mind, Golf-Toons plans to possibly include more Sarasota golf history, course name drops or even Ringling references in future cartoons. Clowns at the tee? Only in SRQ.

Subscribe to Golf-Toons at the website below and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Coming soon, Golf-toons will join the SRQ Daily on a weekly basis.

Pictured, from left to right: Michael Duranko and Marty Glass of Golf-Toons. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

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