Finnish graphic artist Timo Aarniala died on 12 March 2010. Born on 6 July 1945, Aarniala was known for his underground comics from the late 1960s onwards, also as a sleeve art illustrator of books and some well-known Finnish rock albums from Suomen Talvisota 1939-1940, M.A. Numminen and Rauli “Badding” Somerjoki to Tuomari Nurmio, and Yari/Se. Aarniala provided also the sleeve for Pohjalla, a renowned punk/new wave compilation of 1978.
Such underground comics by Aarniala as “Salaisuuden varjo” and “Kyynelten tie” were to prove influential to younger generations of Finnish illustrators. Some of his comics were later on re-published in a compilation called Yllätyskuvat. Timo Aarniala received the well-respected Puupää Hat Award of the Finnish Comics Society in 2004.
An active participant in the Finnish counterculture scene of the late-60s and early 70s, Timo Aarniala was also a member of the late-60s underground folk band Those Lovely Hulahands. He also worked on underground films and had a part in Ismo Sajakorpi’s 1967 short film Luukku (“The flat”). Aarniala’s home movie of The Who’s visit in Finland in 1967, with Pete Townshend’s rare interview, has been widely circulated around the world as part of The Who documentaries.
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timo_Aarniala
http://yle.fi/elavaarkisto/?s=s&g=4&ag=24&t=221&a=2452
http://www.kvaak.fi/naytajuttu.php?articleID=297
http://ankkalinnake.blogspot.com/2010/03/timo-aarniala-1945-2010.html
http://www.kvaak.fi/naytajuttu.php?articleID=1384
http://www.elisanet.fi/marjatta.ripsaluoma/timo_aarniala.htm
http://lambiek.net/artists/a/aarniala_timo.htm
