Sergio Toppi was born in 1932 in Milan, Italy. He began his career in illustration working in advertising and working for the renowned Italian publisher Utet. His comics and graphic novel work spans decades, including work for such comics series as Linus, Corto Maltese, Un uomo un'avventura and Il Giornalino in Italy and l'Histoire de France en bandes dessinees and La Decouverte du Monde published by Larrousse in France. In recent years he has been published exclusively in Europe by the French publisher Editions Mosquito, including The Collector, winner of the Soleil D'Or prize for Best Series at the Solies-Ville Festival. His art has been displayed in the "Masters of the European Comic Book" exhibit

Far from the auction halls of the elite, The Collector seeks out rare and mysterious artifacts across the world. At home in the salons of Paris as he is in the jungles of Borneo, The Collector is a man who has dedicated his life to finding objects very special and almost unknown, which tracks through his research in a variety of locations. But beware, a man who comes into possession of such items does not hesitate to use any means without scruple. Set against the backdrop of late 19th-century colonialism, The Collector is a delightful, swashbuckling adventure by a master of European comic books - Sergio Toppi!