Born in Milan in 1932, Sergio Toppi was an influential Italian comic illustrator and author. Toppi made his debut in comics in 1966 when he finished his first strip for Corriere dei Piccoli (The Children's Gazette) where he continued to specialize in comics for boys, often dealing with adventurers, warriors, and other similar archetypal characters. Toppi also worked on numerous one-shot titles and stories, as well as with other well-known European comic outlets, such as Corriere dei Ragazzi (The Boy's Gazette), Linus, Corto Maltese and Il Giornalino.

Toppi is known for his lush, illustrative graphic and pattern influenced inkwork (in a way, reminiscent of the work of Gustav Klimt), and his often very experimental panel design and layout ideas. He's considered one of Italy's most respected and influential artists in comics and passed away in 2012 at the age of 70.