Boys will be boys! Tom's fellas can be yours for the price of a cocktail The Comics is the most affordable compilation of Tom of Finland's popular panel stories. This volume features 14 stories, including the first completed by Tom in 1946, and the last, done in 1986. Along the way we meet Jack in the Jungle, Beach Boys, Greasy Rider, Ringo & the Renegades, and Tom's most infamous creation, Kake, the ultimate leatherman. The stories are arranged chronologically in a book sized to fit perfectly in one hand, wrapped in our new Panic Jacket that allows the book to be read any place, any time, by simply removing and reversing the cover to give the appearance of a serious scholarly tome. For boys who like boys who like art-but are sometimes embarrassed to enjoy their art in public-this attractive package is not to be missed. Durk Dehner is Tom's archivist and provided the original art for these volumes. He was born in Alberta, Canada, where he studied art before moving to the United States in the mid-'70s. Dehner was instrumental in bringing Tom out of the underground and in focusing public attention on his work. The two co-founded the Tom of Finland Foundation in 1984, and Dehner continues as head of the Foundation, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The artist: Touko Laaksonen, the boy who would become Tom of Finland (1920-1991), began drawing cartoons at age five. His favorite subjects were the rough manly men of his native Finland, as Touko knew from an early age that men interested him more than women. His talents were further honed by art study in Helsinki. 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 Physique Pictorial and the "Tom of Finland" 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. Tom's art continues to play an important role in promoting self-confidence, positive self-image and openness in the gay community. The editor: Dian Hanson was born in Seattle in 1951. For 25 years she produced various men's magazines, including Puritan, Juggs and Leg Show, before becoming TASCHEN's sexy book editor in 2001. Her many books for TASCHEN include Vanessa del Rio: Fifty Years of Slightly Slutty Behavior, Tom of Finland XXL, and The Big Butt Book. She lives in Los Angeles.
