Fictionalized characters include Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Gertrude Stein, and Erik Satie.

[3] A scene in the book shows Picasso taking inspiration from a comic to complete a portrait of Gertrude Stein.

While Picasso was a fan of William Randolph Hearst's comics, there is no historical evidence that they influenced his art.

Bertozzi said of the comic, "Researching the personalities in The Salon led less to historical accuracy in terms of dates and places, but more, I feel, to an emotional reality".

The compilation was given away as part of a promotional event in Rome, Georgia by comic store owner Gordon Lee.