Nikolai Lutohin (1932 - 2000) was born in Yugoslavia as the son of Russian parents. Already as a five year old boy he wanted to be a graphic designer and was interested in Flash Gordon comic books and other sci-fi heroes. He went to Hungary to study at the Art Academy in Budapest and then lived for twenty years in Moscow, where he illustrated popular science books, children's books and classics. His inspiration came from the works of El Greco, Goya, Dali and Hieronymus Bosch. In 1975, he moved to Germany and settled in Munich. Kurt Bernhardt hired him for Pabel Publishers, where he primarily illustrated fantasy, horror and Sci Fi series such as "Terra Fantasy," "Mythor," "Demon Killer," "Sun Koh," and "Utopia Classics". During his last years Nikolai Lutohin worked for the fantasy series of the Bastei Publishing House including "ghost hunter John Sinclair," "Professor Zamorra" and "Demon-land".