The legendary TOM OF FINLAND

now has his own stamps – but they are only available in Finland at the moment.

The late graphic artist Tom of Finland, born Touko Laaksonen,  has  become further cemented as an icon for his contributions to gay art and history thanks to a new a series of stamps. He is considered one of the most well-known Finnish artists around the world.

The work of Tom of Finland is both monumentally significant and long-standing.

“His emphatically masculine homoerotic drawings have attained iconic status in their genre and had an influence on, for instance, pop culture and fashion. In his works, Tom of Finland utilized the self-irony and humor typical of subcultures. During his career, Tom of Finland produced more than 3,500 drawings… The drawings on the stamp sheet represent strong and confident male figures typical of their designer.”

Here’s an interview with stamp’s designer Timo Berry in cooperation with the Tom of Finland Foundation‘s Finnish representative Susanna Luoto.

A petition demanding the stamp be called off has now launched, and has so far gathered over 2,000 signatures.

Stamps may be ordered here.