{"product_id":"tom-of-finland-blue-collar","title":"Tom of Finland: Blue Collar","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0943\/9818\/5773\/files\/Taschen_Logo_black_f2euvp.png?v=1774562533\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet beneath the tight jeans of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca data-uw-original-href=\"\/en\/collection\/tom-of-finland\/\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" href=\"https:\/\/www.taschen.com\/en\/collection\/tom-of-finland\/\" class=\"keyword-link\"\u003eTom of Finland\u003c\/a\u003e’s working-class heroes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e with this pocket-sized package of blue-collar lovers. With a brawny lineup of multi-panel \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ecomics\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and single-panel \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003edrawings and paintings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, as well as photographs and sketches, this neat little book explores the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003etough physical types\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e who fascinated Tom since his very first crush.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__title\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTom of Finland's Hard Working Men\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__description--subtitle\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCowboys, loggers, roughnecks, and roustabouts, all Tom-style\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__description--subtitle\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__description--content\"\u003eAs a boy, Tom’s first crush was a strapping young farmhand who worked the fields around his family home. Finland is a land of tough physical men, catching fish in the icy sea; cutting logs in the endless forests; threshing oats, rye, and barley on the farms. Tom, a more sensitive boy, admired these rough men and their distinctive clothing, designed for protection and utility. He later said, “When I was young, leather was worn by people who worked outside because it was warm.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAll the men who wore leather, they were the type of men which I adored\u003c\/strong\u003e.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen he began to draw he celebrated these early idols, improving their wardrobes with\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003etight jeans, faded T-shirts, and thigh-high beak-toed Lappish boots\u003c\/strong\u003e. It was a young logger in this gear who appeared on the spring 1957 cover of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhysique Pictorial\u003c\/em\u003e, introducing Tom to the world. In the decades to follow Tom added\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etruckers, repairmen, construction workers, circus roustabouts, and the American cowboy to his roster of working-class heroes\u003c\/strong\u003e. Though just sexual fantasies for him, his portrayal of blue-collar lovers helped working class gays accept their true selves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Little Book of Tom: Blue Collar\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003etraces Tom’s fascination with working men in one compact and affordable package. A\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ebrawny lineup of multi-panel comics and single-panel drawings and paintings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis set alongside archival and contextual material, including historic film stills and posters, personal photos of Tom, sketches, and Tom’s own reference photos.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--biographies\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003ch5 class=\"read-more__biography--title\"\u003eThe artist\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--item\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--text\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTouko Laaksonen, the boy who would become\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca data-uw-original-href=\"\/en\/collection\/tom-of-finland\/\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" href=\"https:\/\/www.taschen.com\/en\/collection\/tom-of-finland\/\" class=\"keyword-link\"\u003eTom of Finland\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(1920-1991), began drawing cartoons at age five. His favorite subjects were the rough manly men of his native Finland. He found success in the Finnish advertising industry but secretly continued creating his increasingly erotic drawings of hyper-masculine men. In 1957 he submitted some drawings to the American magazine\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhysique Pictorial\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand the “\u003ca data-uw-original-href=\"\/en\/collection\/tom-of-finland\/\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" href=\"https:\/\/www.taschen.com\/en\/collection\/tom-of-finland\/\" class=\"keyword-link\"\u003eTom of Finland\u003c\/a\u003e” legend was born. By the late 60s Tom’s “dirty drawings” became the standard for gay art, and Tom’s Men a template for a new gay masculinity. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003ch5 class=\"read-more__biography--title\"\u003eThe editor\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--item\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--text\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca data-uw-original-href=\"\/en\/collection\/dian-hanson\/\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" href=\"https:\/\/www.taschen.com\/en\/collection\/dian-hanson\/\" class=\"keyword-link\"\u003eDian Hanson\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eis a senior editor and writer for TASCHEN, with over 50 books to her credit. In addition to\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eARNOLD\u003c\/em\u003e, her recent works include\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Art of Pin-up\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eMasterpieces of Fantasy Art\u003c\/em\u003e, and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Fantastic Worlds of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca data-uw-original-href=\"\/en\/collection\/frank-frazetta\/\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" href=\"https:\/\/www.taschen.com\/en\/collection\/frank-frazetta\/\" class=\"keyword-link\"\u003eFrank Frazetta\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca data-uw-original-href=\"\/en\/about-us\/blog\/dian-hanson-and-so-it-begins\/\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" href=\"https:\/\/www.taschen.com\/en\/about-us\/blog\/dian-hanson-and-so-it-begins\/\" class=\"keyword-link\"\u003eRead here how it all began\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--book-info\"\u003e\n\u003ch5 class=\"read-more__biography--book-title\"\u003eThe Little Book of Tom. Blue Collar\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"product-detail-information__book-details\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHardcover, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-testid=\"book-details--dimensions\"\u003e5.5\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ex\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e7.7\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ein., \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-testid=\"book-details--weight\"\u003e0.93 lb, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e192 pages\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--book-edition\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"read-more__biography--book-isbn\"\u003eISBN\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e978-3-8365-8865-2\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"edition-selection__single-edition\"\u003eEdition: English\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Taschen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51798096576813,"sku":null,"price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0943\/9818\/5773\/files\/SHOPIFYTaschenCovers_c3de527c-34b2-4bc6-8be7-6141ca159cd2.png?v=1773087085","url":"https:\/\/peepasgiftstore.com\/products\/tom-of-finland-blue-collar","provider":"Peepa's Gift Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}