Monday, April 14, 2014

Tom of Finland to appear on stamps in September

Tom of Finland to appear on stamps in September

13.04.2014

http://www.itella.fi/group/english/current/2014/20140413_stamps.html

Stamps will also feature watercolors, bridges, everyday life and Christmas

In September-October 2014, Itella Posti will release seven new sets of stamps, containing a total of 33 new designs. It is a great collection to choose from; the subjects of the new stamps include male drawings by Tom of Finland, autumnal yard and garden scenes painted by Urpo Martikainen, and Jaakko Tähti's photos of Finnish bridges. Other subjects for the end-of-the-year stamps include signs of sky and the change in everyday Finland - and, of course, Christmas.

Confident and proud homoeroticism

The autumn's stamp series begins September 8 with Tom of Finland, who is considered one of the most well-known Finnish artists around the world. 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 two drawings on the stamp sheet were selected by graphic artist Timo Berry, who designed the stamp, and Susanna Luoto, the Finnish representative of the foundation named after Tom of Finland operating in Los Angeles.

The drawings on the stamp sheet represent strong and confident male figures typical of their designer. "The sheet portrays a sensual life force and being proud of oneself. There is never too much of that in this northern country," says Timo Berry. The miniature sheet contains three 1st class self-adhesive stamps.

The artist behind Tom of Finland was Touko Laaksonen (1920-1991), whose profile is extended in the exhibition Sealed with a Secret - Correspondence of Tom of Finland opening in the Postal Museum September 6.  The exhibition will display the busy correspondence of Laaksonen from the early 1940s to his dying year, 1991. The exhibition will be displayed until March 29, 2015, in Museum Centre Vapriikki in the new Postal Museum to be opened in Tampere in September.

Spider-Man postage available at some Post Offices

Spider-Man, American Flag vended postage to be issued April 1
By Jay Bigalke
3/17/2014
http://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps/300/Spider-Man-vended-postage-April-1

I haven't been able to find the postage yet though. The flat rate
boxes have been available.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Amazing Spider-Man 2 promotion with the Postal Service

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 promotion with the Postal Service, on a van at M and 19th St, NW, Washington, DC, in a photo by Nick Galifianakis, Spider-Man is also appearing on the fixed price small box that you can get at the Post Office.