When we think of Tom of Finland, the first thing that comes to mind is very macho, muscular young men dressed in military attire. Tom’s vision of male perfection was shaped while he served as an officer in the army during World War II. Although he enlisted in the Finnish Air Force, it was the German troops stationed in Finland to repel the Russian army’s invasion who inspired him. After all, only the Germans wore uniforms created by Hugo Boss that fit like a glove, spared no design details, and were complemented by shiny high leather boots. Tom, who was 19 at the time, was captivated by them, an obsession that grew after his first sexual experiences with German officers in the dark streets of Helsinki.
Tom began putting his military fantasies on paper in 1945, when the war ended, to recall his exciting nocturnal encounters. At first, the Hugo Boss uniforms starred in all his drawings, but over the years and decades, he expanded the range to include the United States Navy attire and later his own hybrid designs of black leather, riding pants, boots, and peaked caps, with emblems created to replace military insignia. As Tom attracted a following, he created with pencil, pen, and watercolor an army of masculine, free, and imposing men committed to pleasure and male camaraderie.
The Little Book of Tom: Military Men explores Tom’s fascination with military clothing through a combination of comic strips, drawings, and full-page illustrations in a compact and affordable 192-page format. Frames and posters from historic films, photographs, sketches, and the artist’s reference images break down the cultural context and personal inspirations behind the ultimate hero of Tom of Finland.
