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Tom of Finland: His Life and Times
When the definitive history of hte emergence of gay culture in the second half of the twentieth century is written, one individual artist is almost certain to be acknowledged for having singlehandedly shaped the erotic imaginations of generations of gay hte Scandinavian illustrator Tom of Finland.
Working alone and in secret in a far-off land, the remarkable drawings that sprang from this artist's hands-leatherman-bikers, cowboys, cops, lumberjacks, hardhats, soldiers, and sailors -- become archetypal images that delineated the shape of homoerotic desire.
With Tom's full cooperation in the years before his death, F. Valentine Hooven III hs written a full biography of the man, while tracing the evolution and impact of his art on the world.
Working alone and in secret in a far-off land, the remarkable drawings that sprang from this artist's hands-leatherman-bikers, cowboys, cops, lumberjacks, hardhats, soldiers, and sailors -- become archetypal images that delineated the shape of homoerotic desire.
With Tom's full cooperation in the years before his death, F. Valentine Hooven III hs written a full biography of the man, while tracing the evolution and impact of his art on the world.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 9, 2017
Happy homosexuals. It's an incredible concept, and unfortunately it's only a recent one, but the homosexual community owes Tom of Finland some credit for establishing this mentality. Anyone who has studied or appreciated the work of Tom understands that the men frolicking and fucking in the strange and wonderful world of Tom's imagination are always happy, and when the reader remembers that the men in these drawings were making love at a time when homosexuality could be punished with exile, imprisonment, or punishment in mental asylums, Tom of Finland's work becomes both fascinating and actually brave.
I discovered Tom of Finland, and his art, only recently and already there's a dearness in my heart for them. I'm a bisexual man who openly admits to being an unapologetic consumer of pornography, and Tom of Finland's work is an opportunity to see something really beautiful: pornography that fosters a positive and healthy approach to sex. The men in Tom's work are happy and, no matter what, always approaching sex as something that is enjoyable rather than manipulative.
This biography follows the creator behind the Kake comics, showing his creative and personal development. And for those of us who read and study the sexuality of queer men this book is an important document in understanding the history of how gay, and bi, men practiced their sexuality.
It's also, to be frank, a fun chance to see a few gorgeous men.
If the reader would like to read my full review, they can follow the link to my site White Tower Musings below. Thank you for reading:
https://jsjammersmith.wordpress.com/2...
I discovered Tom of Finland, and his art, only recently and already there's a dearness in my heart for them. I'm a bisexual man who openly admits to being an unapologetic consumer of pornography, and Tom of Finland's work is an opportunity to see something really beautiful: pornography that fosters a positive and healthy approach to sex. The men in Tom's work are happy and, no matter what, always approaching sex as something that is enjoyable rather than manipulative.
This biography follows the creator behind the Kake comics, showing his creative and personal development. And for those of us who read and study the sexuality of queer men this book is an important document in understanding the history of how gay, and bi, men practiced their sexuality.
It's also, to be frank, a fun chance to see a few gorgeous men.
If the reader would like to read my full review, they can follow the link to my site White Tower Musings below. Thank you for reading:
https://jsjammersmith.wordpress.com/2...
February 21, 2019
This book was absolutely fantastic. The quality was great and every page was there for a reason. I loved the detail in information that was told about Tom's life but also about his artworks and even the ToF Foundation. If you want to know mire about Tom of Finland... this is the #1 book to read.
August 30, 2025
An important piece of queer history
January 15, 2024
Discovering Tom of Finland in the Smut section of The Phoenix, an indie bookstore in San Luis Obispo, California circa 1993 was mwah. Just. Yes. Enough said.
July 26, 2014
Really good, in depth but readable, (if somewhat worshipful) biography of the artist. I've known about Tom for some time and like his art (also,I'm straight woman writing this), but really got more interest since I'm involved in the BDSM community and go to IML (International Mr. Leather) in Chicago for the Leather Market, and the Tom of Finland Foundation usually has a booth there. So I was really hoping to pick up an art book or something this year (2014) but they weren't there, so that sent me on a quest to find something to read finally, and I found this.
The reason I chose this book was because it contained interviews with him, so there are intimate comments that he makes about personal and professional relationships that frame the narrative flow. The author also makes an effort to show and explain the evolution of his artistic style, in historical context that really explains Tom's importance to both erotic art and homosexual art in the 20th century. The only problem is that some of the art included is not really properly labeled or contextualized, but so much of his work was lost or not documented - since Tom himself didn't take it seriously for most of his life (he just called it his 'dirty drawings') that I guess it's understandable. So without any other written tome to compare it to, I can't fairly decide if it was the author's over site, or just something that was lost to history.
It's really a very touching, occasionally wryly humorous look at the artist's life, that (yes) has plenty of examples of his work included.
The reason I chose this book was because it contained interviews with him, so there are intimate comments that he makes about personal and professional relationships that frame the narrative flow. The author also makes an effort to show and explain the evolution of his artistic style, in historical context that really explains Tom's importance to both erotic art and homosexual art in the 20th century. The only problem is that some of the art included is not really properly labeled or contextualized, but so much of his work was lost or not documented - since Tom himself didn't take it seriously for most of his life (he just called it his 'dirty drawings') that I guess it's understandable. So without any other written tome to compare it to, I can't fairly decide if it was the author's over site, or just something that was lost to history.
It's really a very touching, occasionally wryly humorous look at the artist's life, that (yes) has plenty of examples of his work included.
August 12, 2013
Excellent biography about the man who became Tom of Finland. I have another book that's about him, but it doesn't go into the kind of detail about his life that this one does. Even as a lesbian, I can appreciate the talent he had. He was best at drawing portraits of actual people - there was one drawing he did of a model on a motorcycle that was so good, I almost couldn't tell it was a drawing and not a photograph. It showed the drawing and the photograph side by side, and there was almost no difference. I don't really care for his general drawings of men with hugely muscled oversized bodies, small heads, kind of flat faces with stub noses, and unrealistically huge penises; to me, those are kind of ridiculous, although his attention to detail is incredible. And the few women he drew were just embarrassing. He admitted he couldn't draw women and didn't like doing it, which was plainly obvious. At best, his women looked like men dressed as women, or transgenders.
Anyway, I'm glad I bought this book. It's a fantastic read.
Anyway, I'm glad I bought this book. It's a fantastic read.
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June 22, 2007I've been fascinated by Tom of Finland since I first saw his artwork, probably some time in the 90s. Of course, I am not a gay man, but I find his representations of aggressive, open gay male sexuality very erotic.
I first saw this book in City Lights bookstore in San Franscico and opened it up to read a bit. I didn't get to finish it until years later when I came across it at the Solidarity radical library in Lawrence, Kansas.
I enjoyed the biography. It was a quick, easy read and now I feel like I know quite a bit more about good ole Tom.
I first saw this book in City Lights bookstore in San Franscico and opened it up to read a bit. I didn't get to finish it until years later when I came across it at the Solidarity radical library in Lawrence, Kansas.
I enjoyed the biography. It was a quick, easy read and now I feel like I know quite a bit more about good ole Tom.
March 30, 2015
A quick read, and a great book to follow up Secret Historian.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews