The Purple Pussycat Boutique, Roz Chast's fictitious sex shop, is based on the Pink Pussycat Boutique located on West 4th Street in the Village. The gag in which the store appeared was published in The New Yorker of February 9, 1998, when the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal was making headlines. The drawing was part of an unusual two-page cartoon feature with multiple contributors called "Further Revelations."
The original art was sold by the Cartoon Bank in August of 2000 with a stated valuation of $1,200. It was first offered on eBay in November of 2020. The asking price was $1,500 in April of 2021, but it subsequently came down to $1,100. It sold in August 2021 for an undisclosed best offer. Comparison of the original art with the published cartoon reveals that the magazine corrected the placement of the apostrophe in Presidents' Day.
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| Roz Chast Original art The New Yorker, February 9, 1998, page 71 |
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| Roz Chast's signature |
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| The New Yorker, February 9, 1998, page 71 |
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| Roz Chast eBay listing ended August 9, 2021 |
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| Roz Chast eBay item description |
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| Roz Chast The New Yorker, February 9, 1998, page 71 |
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| Roz Chast Original art The New Yorker, February 9, 1998, page 71 |
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| "Further Revelations" Cartoons by Peter Steiner, Donald Reilly, Danny Shanahan, Edward Frascino, Roz Chast, and Bob Mankoff |
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