A trained architect and a presence on the science fiction scene during the 1970s, he became a professional in the comics genre with albums such as Galbar, and was allegedly the only artist to have obtained a steady income in this way during the communist period.

Born in Ghelari, Hunedoara County, Sandu Florea first became interested in comics while in fifth grade, his first contact with the medium being through a copy of the French youth magazine Pif Vaillant.

[1] After moving to Timișoara, he became a noted presence among the local science fiction fan base, joining the H. G. Wells Literary Club founded by writer Ovidiu Şurianu.

[2][3] During the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was creating and publishing comic books dedicated to popular legends, such as a retake on Ion Creangă's fantasy story Harap Alb, or recounting episodes in Romanian history (involving Dacian rulers Burebista and Decebalus, Roman Emperor Trajan,[3][4] and Wallachian Prince Michael the Brave).

[3][5][6] This, literary critic Michael Hăulică notes, made Florea one in a final wave of Romanian Eurocon laureates to have emerged under communism (also including writers Vladimir Colin, Ion Hobana and Gheorghe Săsărman).

"[1] Having unsuccessfully demanded from communist authorities the right of leaving for the United States, where two of his siblings had already settled, Florea was exposed to political persecution, and the censorship apparatus lifted his right to publish, prompting him to contribute several comic strips under various pseudonyms.

[8] Although initially discouraged by the competition among comic book artists, Florea recounts, he decided to contact Marvel recruiters within three months of his arrival, submitting a sample of his take on Conan the Barbarian.

[1] According to his own statement, Conan proved compatible with his talents: "[he was] the only Marvel character who did not fly, did not breathe fire and did not use psychic waves to defeat his enemies, being instead armed with a giant sword and axe.

"[1] He was accepted by Marvel soon after this, specialized as an inker, and began working on several of its main releases, including, alongside Conan, The Amazing Spider-Man and the various spin-offs of Avengers, Blackwulf, Elektra, Mighty Thor, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Four and X-Men.

[8] His artistic production also touched other media: Florea created storyboards and other graphics for the motion picture producers Full Moon, as well as book illustrations for The Princeton Review.

[9][10] The magazine also featured Borderland, a comic series conceived especially for a Romanian public by writer John Warner and illustrated by Florea, depicting the confrontation between three worlds: of the Mortals, of Magic and of the Demons.

[10] Around the same time, Sandu Florea also began contributing to various Romanian webzines, such as Pro-Scris, Imagikon and Paradox—the latter of which published his strip Fortăreaţa, based on a short story by Ovidiu Bufnilă.