The Little Book of Tom. Blue Collar

As a young boy, Tom developed a fascination with rough, physical men from Finland, such as farmhands and loggers, and celebrated them in his drawings. His portrayal of blue-collar lovers helped working-class gays accept their true selves, and his book "The Little Book of Tom: Blue Collar" captures this fascination in a compact and affordable package.

Format: Hardback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 28 December 2022
Publisher: Taschen GmbH

As a young boy, Tom's heart was captured by a strapping young farmhand who toiled in the fields surrounding his family home. Finland, renowned for its hardy and resilient men, engaged in arduous tasks such as fishing in the icy seas, cutting logs in vast forests, and threshing oats, rye, and barley on the farms. Tom, a more sensitive soul, found admiration for these rugged individuals and their distinctive attire, meticulously designed for both protection and functionality. He later reminisced, "When I was young, leather was a staple among those who worked outdoors, as it provided warmth in the chilly climate." The men who adorned themselves in leather were the epitome of the kind of men that Tom adored.

As Tom's artistic journey unfolded, he celebrated these early idols through his drawings, enhancing their wardrobes with tight jeans, faded T-shirts, and thigh-high beak-toed Lappish boots. It was during this period that a young logger, adorned in the gear of his trade, graced the spring 1957 cover of Physique Pictorial, introducing Tom to the world. Over the ensuing decades, Tom expanded his roster of working-class heroes to include truckers, repairmen, construction workers, circus roustabouts, and the iconic American cowboy. While these figures remained mere sexual fantasies for him, Tom's portrayal of blue-collar lovers played a significant role in helping working-class gays embrace their true selves.

The Little Book of Tom: Blue Collar is a captivating compilation that encapsulates Tom's fascination with working men in a concise and affordable package. Within its pages, a robust array of multi-panel comics, single-panel drawings, and paintings is accompanied by archival and contextual material, including historic film stills, posters, personal photos of Tom, sketches, and Tom's reference photos. This comprehensive volume offers a deep dive into Tom's artistic journey, providing a glimpse into his admiration for the hardworking individuals who shaped his world.

Weight: 409g
Dimension: 195 x 140 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783836588652
Edition number: Multilingual ed