Archaia's long anticipated English-language edition of The Collector, by the late Italian comic great Sergio Toppi (1932-2012), will finally see release this September after a series of delays. Like Sharaz De, the collection of Toppi's unique take on the Arabian Nights tales that Archaia released in 2013, it will be published in an over-sized, hardback format. Very little of Toppi's work is available in English (indeed Sharaz De is the only book of his currently in print), despite his being widely regarded as one of the most influential artists to have graced the medium.
Beginning in 1984, The Collector was Toppi's longest-running original series, charting the adventures of a bowler-hatted, daredevil, chameleon of a man. Known only as The Collector, he travels around the world and through time in order to fulfill his hobby of seeking out rare and fascinating artifacts. Illustrated in his distinctive black and white, densely textured style, each page is a master-class in beauty and technique.
