It was established by Sarah Glidden, Julia Wertz, and Domitille Collardey,[1] and included Kate Beaton,[2] Meredith Gran, Lisa Hanawalt, Karen Sneider,[3] and Deana Sobel Lederman.

Sarah Glidden and Julia Wertz had the idea to create a shared cartoon space in October 2009, just as Domitille Collardey was planning to move from her native France to New York.

Their studio was semi-annually open for tours and some Pizza Island members would offer prints and artwork for sale.

[8] Though the cartoonists worked on separate projects, sharing the space caused them to create lasting connections, such as the friendship of Kate Beaton and Lisa Hanawalt,.

[10] Pizza Island announced its disbandment on January 17, 2012 with a satirical blog post written by Wertz, detailing their "cat fights" and "screaming" upon ending this "all-male" studio, as well as lampooning the different cartoonists with exaggerated caricatures of their personality (such as Lisa Hanawalt lovingly drawing a horse as she speaks,[11] having Sarah Glidden run away from the interview with art supplies tumbling out of her clothes, and detailing a failed relationship between Julia Wertz and a parasitic twin growing out of Lisa Hanawalt's back).