Iconic Groups: Queer in Comics
Iconic: Iconic People
Jobs/Roles:
- Artist
- Illustrator
Date of Birth: May 8, 1920
Date of Passing: November 7, 1991
Birthplace: Kaarina, Finland
Ethnicity/Nationality:
- Finnish
Gender:
Tom of Finland (born Touko Valio Laaksonen, May 8, 1920 – November 7, 1991) was a Finnish artist who created highly stylized homoerotic illustrations featuring hyper-masculine male figures. His work became iconic in global gay culture and helped shift the cultural image of gay men. His drawings appeared in comics formats and magazines including Physique Pictorial (beginning 1957). He founded the Tom of Finland Foundation in 1984.
Distinctive Awards, Recognition & Accolades:
Puupäähattu Prize — Finnish Comics Society (1990); Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame — nominated 1998 and 2002