Mr Lordi
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Tomi Petteri Putaansuu (born 15 February 1974), known professionally as Mr Lordi, is a Finnish musician, businessman, special effect make-up artist, songwriter, painter,
comics artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the literar ...
and
graphic designer A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming ...
. He is best known as the lead vocalist of rock band
Lordi Lordi () is a Finnish Rock music, rock band. Formed in 1992 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume maker Mr Lordi (Tomi Petteri Putaansuu), Lordi are known for wearing monster masks and using horror elements with pyrotechnics during c ...
. In the band he is responsible for songwriting and creating all the masks, costumes, graphics and stage props. Mr Lordi has written songs and provided album artwork for bands such as Rotten Sound, Jope Ruonansuu, Domination Black, Grandevils and Agnes Pihlava. He has also had a few art exhibitions in Finland. All publicity photographs of Mr Lordi have his face concealed with his mask and stage makeup.


Career


Music

Before
Lordi Lordi () is a Finnish Rock music, rock band. Formed in 1992 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume maker Mr Lordi (Tomi Petteri Putaansuu), Lordi are known for wearing monster masks and using horror elements with pyrotechnics during c ...
, Mr Lordi had played in many rock bands from
Rovaniemi Rovaniemi ( , ; ; ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Lapland (Finland), Lapland. It is located near the Arctic Circle in the northern interior of the country. The population of Rovaniemi is approximately , while the Rovaniemi su ...
and was best known as the lead singer for his former band Wanda Whips Wall Street. He founded Lordi as his solo project in 1992, when he was 18 years old. He produced the first demo, ''Napalm Market'', in 1993. Mr Lordi described Lordi's desired sound as "a song made by
Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
back in 1983, covered by
Pantera Pantera () is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, an ...
in 1992 and remixed by
Puff Daddy Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, Combs worked as a ...
". Lordi became a band four years later when Mr Lordi met Lordi's original line-up during a Finnish Kiss cruise, organised by himself as a president of Kiss Army Finland. While working as storyboard artist, Mr Lordi spent his freetime producing the first Lordi album '' Bend Over and Pray the Lord'' in 1997. He could, however, not find a publisher for the album and it was left unreleased. Since then, he has also illustrated a comic book featuring Lordi. After 2002, when the first single " Would You Love a Monsterman?" and the album '' Get Heavy'' were finally released by BMG Finland, Mr Lordi is still responsible for all the album artwork, merchandise design and masks and outfits of the band members. The songs he writes along with the other band members. Mr Lordi has written songs and made album covers for many Finnish bands and artists like Rotten Sound, Agnes Pihlava and Neljänsuora. Outside Finland, Mr Lordi has been featured as a live guest on U.D.O.'s and Doro Pesch's concerts. In 2011, Mr Lordi created his own choir from Rovaniemi for the Finnish version of the ''
Clash of the Choirs ''Clash of the Choirs'' is a reality talent contest miniseries that debuted on NBC in the United States on December 17, 2007. There were four episodes scheduled in the “quick competition”. Maria Menounos is the host of the program, which w ...
'' miniseries. He named his choir "Rock'n'Rollo" and invited the choir to perform in Lordi's anniversary concert in 2012.


Filmmaking

In the late 1980s, Mr Lordi started to make horror movies with friends. As a movie director and effects designer, he, along with the young movie makers Pete Riski (Lordi's future music video director), Petri Kangas, Kimmo Valtanen (to-be
Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
Finland CEO) and Tomi Yli-Suvanto, received many awards and represented Finland at international film festivals. Mr Lordi has also worked as a storyboard artist for Finnish movie producers and directed many Finnish music videos.


Painting

Mr Lordi has had three art exhibitions in Finland. The exhibitions have also contained Mr Lordi's artwork for Lordi and other bands.


Personal life

Born and raised in Rovaniemi, Mr Lordi became interested in monsters and special effects in his early youth, in major part through horror movies. He was also a fan of ''
The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a variety sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and starring the Muppets. It is presented as a variety show, featuring recurring sketches and musical numbers interspersed with ongoing plot-lines with ru ...
'' and '' E.T.'' and was introduced to heavy metal through his friend Risto Niemi, when he was eight years old. Always interested in masks and visual performances, he took special interest in
Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
, W.A.S.P.,
Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California, in 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, with guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil joining right after. The band has sol ...
,
Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
and
Twisted Sister Twisted Sister was an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in 1972 in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York (state), New York. Their best-known songs include "We're Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister song ...
. He started bands with his friends and designed logos and album covers for all of them. Mr Lordi did not do well at school – except for music and drawing. After years, he graduated as a media designer, specialising himself in video editing. He made Lordi's first music video, "Inferno", a seven-minute combination of horror fantasy and heavy metal music video, in 1995. The video featured Mr Lordi's friends in heavy makeup and masks and horror decorations made by Mr Lordi – and Mr Lordi himself singing without any makeup. Shortly thereafter, he met his future band members on a Kiss Army trip to Sweden and Lordi turned into a real band with four members – Mr Lordi, G-Stealer, Enary and Amen. He married his long-time girlfriend Johanna Askola in early August 2006 in his home town Rovaniemi. The couple divorced in 2015.


Character background

Like the other members in the band
Lordi Lordi () is a Finnish Rock music, rock band. Formed in 1992 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume maker Mr Lordi (Tomi Petteri Putaansuu), Lordi are known for wearing monster masks and using horror elements with pyrotechnics during c ...
, Mr Lordi too has a fictional background story and appears as fictional monster in comic books and music videos of Lordi. His character has been described as the names "The
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
from Hell", "The Most Fearsome Khan of All", "The Biomechanical Man" and "The Unholy Overlord of All Tremors". His best-known weapons are his biomechanic armour and an axe. The fictional history of Mr Lordi tells that his father was a Demon of the South named the Duke of the Demons and his mother a Troll of the North named Angel. The Demons invaded Lapland and raped the Trolls. As a bastard son of both, Mr Lordi received the supernatural powers of them and during centuries appeared as several historical figures, such as
Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...
,
Attila the Hun Attila ( or ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in early 453. He was also the leader of an empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Gepids, among others, in Central and East ...
,
Vlad the Impaler Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( ) or Vlad Dracula (; ; 1428/31 – 1476/77), was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian hi ...
and
Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich (; – ), commonly known as Ivan the Terrible,; ; monastic name: Jonah. was Grand Prince of Moscow, Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar of all Russia, Tsar and Grand Prince of all R ...
. After defeating the Demons and Trolls, as the Lord of Lapland, he rode in a sleigh, given to him by Puuhkalakki, pulled by flying
zombie A zombie (Haitian French: ; ; Kikongo: ''zumbi'') is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. In modern popular culture, zombies appear in horror genre works. The term comes from Haitian folkl ...
reindeer. According to one theory, Mr Lordi has spent centuries searching for His One True Love, but has not found her. Kalmaged the Time-traveller tells that Mr Lordi has integrated himself to the magnetic field of the Earth and thus controls the whole planet and can now travel between different dimensions effortlessly. Mr Lordi has personally gathered the other band members as allies in the trans-dimensional war against their enemies.


Discography


Lordi


Other

* Various artists: Rovaniemi Rokkaa (1992) – includes Wanda Whips Wall Street's song "You're Dead Wrong" * Various artists: Rockmurskaa (1995) – includes Lordi's song "Inferno" and Wanda Whips Wall Street's song "Caught the Black Fire" * Agnes Pihlava: When the Night Falls (2006) – includes Mr Lordi's written song "Danger in Love" * 1827 Infernal Musical: 1827 Infernal Musical (CD, 2010) – includes Mr Lordi's written song "Devil's crashing the party" * Neljänsuora: Valtava Maailma (2011) – includes Mr Lordi's written song "Testamentti" * Martti Servo: RoPS- Sinisellä Sydämellä (song, 2013) – song written by Mr Lordi


Filmography

* '' Häjyt'' (1999) –
storyboard A storyboard is a graphic organizer that consists of simple illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence. The storyboarding proce ...
* ''Historiaa tehdään öisin'' (1999) – storyboard * ''Kuilu'' (2001) – special effects make-up * '' Rölli ja metsänhenki'' (2001) – storyboard * '' Pahat pojat'' (2003) – storyboard * ''The Kin'' (2004) – script/acting/storyboard/special effects make-up/music * '' Dark Floors'' (2008) – script/acting/theme song * ''Monsterman'' (2014) – documentary film about Mr Lordi and
Lordi Lordi () is a Finnish Rock music, rock band. Formed in 1992 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume maker Mr Lordi (Tomi Petteri Putaansuu), Lordi are known for wearing monster masks and using horror elements with pyrotechnics during c ...


Other releases


Cover artwork by Mr Lordi

* Rotten Sound: ''Psychotic Veterinarian'' (1995) * Domination Black: ''Fearbringer'' (2005) * Martti Servo & Napander: ''Kestävällä pohjalla'' (2010) * Rockamania: ''Rockamania'' (2010) * Jope Ruonansuu: ''Jopetusministeri'' (2011) * Jope Ruonansuu: ''Veljekset kuin kyljykset'' (2012)


Mr Lordi's art exhibitions in Finland

* Kulmagalleria: ''Mr Lordi's art exhibition'' (8–30 August 2009) * Kulmagalleria: ''Ihmeellistä Mautonta Menoa'' (7–30 October 2011) * Kauppakeskus Revontuli: ''Vistoja Kuvia'' (13 July – 11 August 2012)


References


External links

* *
Mr Lordi as monster and musician on LORDI Army's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lordi, Mr. 1974 births Living people People from Rovaniemi Finnish comics artists 21st-century Finnish male singers Finnish rock singers Finnish heavy metal singers Finnish male songwriters Lordi members Masked musicians Visual effects artists Storyboard artists Eurovision Song Contest-winning songwriters English-language singers from Finland Finnish make-up artists