It's always nice to be able to report Happy News (can I insert a Smiley Face here?), and we do have much happy news. We continue to receive unprecedented support from our Members, who are joining and renewing at a record rate. The Members form the backbone of the Foundation, providing not only much-needed financial support, but also an indication of how well we're doing in spreading our message. We hope our Members will be ambassadors for the cause of erotic art, and will continue to tell their friends and associates about the Foundation and the work we do. Many thanks, guys and gals!

If Members are the spine of the Foundation, the heart is certainly our volunteers, for without them we wouldn't be able to function. There's a story about volunteers on page 4 of this issue, but I want to personally thank each and every one of them – not only for all their hard work, but also for being such a wonderful group of people. Getting to know and work with many of the volunteers has made it fun to come to work every day.

Before I go... it's not too early to start thinking about who should receive our next year's Lifetime Achievement Award and which artist should be inducted into the Erotic Artist Hall of Fame next year. We will be conducting a poll as we get closer to next year's events, and if you wish to have a voice in selecting the honorees, remember: only Members of the Foundation will be able to vote. Also, as our events become more popular, those who have supported us by becoming Members will be given priority in terms of attendance.

I look forward to seeing you all at the Fair!

- M. J. Richardson

JOIN THE VOLUNTEER CORPS!

The Tom of Finland Foundation is a nonprofit organization – sometimes very nonprofit! – and we rely on our terrific group of volunteers to help us out when we have an event, or a big mailing, or some special task that needs to be done. While every volunteer provides incredibly valuable service, we want to single out a few for special mention: Stephen Nye not only volunteers for events, but has singlehandedly revamped the Foundation's computer system – he installed a new database which makes it much easier for us to keep track of all of you, and regularly troubleshoots whenever there is a problem; Bob Greeson, aka “Tulsa” (right), devotes every Tuesday to the Foundation, and has become a fixture in the office, performing tasks ranging from researching royalty payments to helping with mailings – if you're reading this now, chances are good it was Tulsa who stuffed it in the envelope!

And, of course, the cadre of volunteers who come in every other Sunday afternoon throughout the year, to work in the archives – artists from around the world send us their art to be recorded, and it is these volunteers who perform the heroic task of making sure the art is archived so it will survive and be preserved.

In August, we held a volunteers' barbecue at the Tom house in the Echo Park section of Los Angeles. This was partly a “Thank You” for the work the guys do during the year – most recently at Tom's Bar in May – but was also a “recruiting party”. Volunteers were asked to bring along a friend or two who might be interested in becoming a Tom volunteer, and we got to see a bunch of new faces. This was particularly important now, because the upcoming Erotic Art Weekend is our biggest event ever – we will need more than 100 volunteers to keep things running smoothly over the course of the three days.

Volunteers Robert Villegas and Patrick Schulmann (foreground L&R) greet new recruits at the BBQ

We can never have enough volunteers. So if you live within striking range of Los Angeles, and want to get in with the “In” crowd of Tom's Men (and Women!), give a call to Volunteer Coordinator Dan Berkowitz at 323-654-4552. Depending on your schedule, you can do a little, or you can do a lot – but know that however much you do helps the Foundation and the cause of erotic art.

FUNDRAISER IN THE DESERT

Details are still being worked out at press time, but we are hopeful that the Foundation will be the beneficiary of fund-raising efforts in Palm Springs during the weekends of Palm Springs Gay Pride and Leather Pride.

The guys at Wolf's Den, the noted leather bar in Cathedral City, have been talking with us about setting up an exhibition of art from the permanent collection, to be displayed at the bar during Gay Pride Weekend November 2-5, and Leather Weekend November 9-12. During that time, we hope to organize a Desert version of “Tom's Bar” at Wolf's Den – lots of fun, lots of hot men, and a little recruiting and fund-raising for the Foundation.

So if you're heading to the desert in November, plan to join us! For details, call the Foundation at 213-250-1685, or Wolf's Den at 760-321-9688.

ETIENNE: EROTICA BOOK 2

Special 20% Off Price for Foundation Members

The Tom of Finland Company's new book on this master of homoerotica is hot off the presses. It is a fantastic sampling of work: from storybook cartoons to lush finished drawings; from hilarious situations to heavy-duty kink and humiliation. 64 pages, 8 in full color, including a complete 12 page story. To celebrate the release, the book which normally sells for $25, is now offered to Foundation members for only $20 (plus $5 shipping & handling). The first Etienne book is also available to members at the same price - contact Mary Jane at 213-250-1685 to get yours!