He is known to generations of Bulgarians for his comic strips for the comics magazines Daga (Rainbow) and Chuden Svyat (Wonderworld). He is also author of movie posters and cartoons and has illustrated hundreds of books for children and adults of all genres, as well as game books and computer games. He has had dozens of exhibitions and has won international awards. He is also author of the hair-raising covers for the books by Stephen King and Dean Koontz in Bulgarian.

But not many know that it is thanks to Peter Stanimirov that the reading public in Bulgaria was given the chance to get to know the two authors.

“That was a long time ago,” Peter Stanimirov says. “And it all happened because before I had any idea of going into the publishing business I got hold of a book, The Dead Zone, and it really made an impression on me. When, in the 1990s, we founded a publishing house of our own and we were asking ourselves what we can do to make us different from everyone else, I thought of Stephen King. There was no Internet back then, I had no idea just how popular he was, I was even wondering whether we should publish him at all, whether there would be any interest in Bulgaria.”

Back then, readers in Bulgaria knew only three books by the king of horror. Peter Stanimirov prepared Salem’s Lot for printing, translated by Lyubomir Nikolov, he also authored the cover of the book, and even though it is not his scariest, book stores didn’t seem to like it very much and the book didn’t sell very well. But readers turned out to be better informed and gradually the demand reached such proportions, that when the truck with the second book by the publishing house arrived – Carrie – retailers bought up all copies before they had even had the chance of reaching the warehouse.

The publishers struck gold with one more thing. They put small photos of the next three book titles on the back covers to inform readers and to spark the interest of collectors. As it turned out, it was an excellent idea, and in the space of three years, the Bulgarian artist illustrated 21 of Stephen King’s books.

“At the time I was not very curious to know how the covers were being received,” Peter Stanimirov admits. “It was years later that I found out what the psychological effect of the book covers had been. It came as a surprise to me when I found out there were people who turned It’s cover upside down at night because it was too scary. I also found out how many people had come to love Stephen King from our books.”

Recognition came to Peter Stanimirov, as Stephen King illustrator, out of the blue in 2010 when he found out he was being included in the Knowing Darkness:Artists Inspired by Stephen King deluxe art book, alongside dozens of other master illustrators like Michael Whelan, Don Maitz, J.K. Potter, Phil Hale, Dave McKean, Rick Berry, Drew Struzan, Mark Ryden. The 450-page book weighs 7 whole kilograms.

Peter Stanimirov is one of 17 artists to whom the writer’s biographer George Beahm dedicated a separate extensive essay.

The artist’s drawings have come to be recognizable milestones of a whole era, and in 1998, he started restoring the old covers.

“Letters used to be fitted directly onto the drawing which destroyed it, that is why I decided to unglue them and to remodel the covers so they can be displayed as separate, original drawings. And when I started using a computer, I digitalized them,” the artist says.

As a result, on 21 September, 2011, a limited edition bilingual collectors album appeared (in Bulgarian and in English), Inspired by Stephen King, in a circulation of 500, each of which with its own number and signed by Peter Stanimirov. The artist himself owns copy No. 110.

Photos: personal library