According to a story told by producer Samuel M. Sherman, who worked with Vorkov in the film
Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971), the name "Zandor Vorkov" was given to Raphael Peter Engel by author
Forrest J. Ackerman, who also appeared in this film. Engel was also involved in financing Sherman's film company Independent-International Pictures Corp., eventually appearing in two of its many horror films, the aforementioned
Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971) and
Brain of Blood (1971).