It was May 2018. A kid from Chicago named Jarad Higgins, known to the world as Juice WRLD, dropped an album that basically rewrote the rules for "sad boy" rap. It wasn't just the music, though. The visual identity of that era, specifically the goodbye and good riddance poster art, became a permanent fixture in Gen Z culture. You’ve seen it. Even if you aren’t a die-hard fan, that blue-tinted, sketch-heavy aesthetic is everywhere. It’s on dorm room walls, plastered across Etsy, and screenshotted a billion times on Pinterest.
Why?
Honestly, it’s because the art captured a very specific, raw type of heartbreak that felt authentic. It wasn’t polished. It looked like something a teenager would doodle in the back of a notebook while ignoring a math lecture.
The Story Behind the Sketch
The original cover art for Goodbye & Good Riddance wasn't some high-budget corporate photoshoot. It was illustrated by an artist named Mason London (born Joe Prytherch). If you look closely at a high-quality goodbye and good riddance poster, you’ll notice the details are surprisingly chaotic. There’s a car—specifically a custom 90s-era vehicle—leaving a trail of smoke. There are hand-drawn scribbles, broken hearts, and the iconic font that looks like a shaky permanent marker.
Prytherch has mentioned in interviews that the vibe was meant to feel like a "visual diary." That’s the magic. Most rap posters at the time were about "the grind" or "the flex." Juice went the other way. He went for the "I'm miserable and I'm driving away from my problems" vibe. It resonated. Hard.
Why fans still buy the physical poster
In a world of digital streaming, physical posters shouldn't really matter, right? Wrong. For Juice WRLD fans, owning a goodbye and good riddance poster is a tribute. After his passing in December 2019, these posters transitioned from simple merch to a sort of memorial.
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People don't just want the image; they want the era. They want to remember the first time they heard "Lucid Dreams" or "All Girls Are the Same." There’s a tactile connection there. When you hang that blue-and-white print, you’re signaling that you were there when melodic trap changed forever.
Spotting the Real Deal vs. Low-Quality Reprints
If you’re looking to pick one up today, the market is a bit of a mess. Because the album is so legendary, every third-party seller on the internet is trying to flip a blurry JPEG onto a piece of cardstock.
Quality matters.
A legit goodbye and good riddance poster should have crisp lines on the "scribble" elements. If the blue background looks "noisy" or pixelated, it’s a bad scan. Real fans usually hunt for the 18x24 or 24x36 sizes. Some people prefer the "tracklist" version, which features the songs listed on the side in that same handwritten font. Personally, I think the minimalist version without the text hits harder. It lets the art breathe.
There are also the "limited edition" drops that happened through the 999 Club (Juice’s official estate merch site). Those are the holy grail. They often feature higher-grade paper stock or holographic finishes that you just won't find on a random eBay listing.
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The Influence on Modern Cover Art
You can't talk about this poster without talking about how it shifted the industry. Before 2018, everything was trying to be "clean." After Goodbye & Good Riddance, we saw a massive influx of "lo-fi" and "sketchbook" style posters.
- The Scribble Aesthetic: Artists like Iann Dior and The Kid LAROI clearly took notes.
- Color Palettes: That specific shade of melancholic blue became the universal signal for "emo-rap."
- Narrative Art: Instead of just a face on a cover, posters started telling a story—in this case, the story of a breakup and a getaway.
It’s weird to think a single piece of paper could hold that much weight. But for a generation that grew up online, these visuals are their classic rock posters. Juice WRLD was their Led Zeppelin or Nirvana. And just like a "Nevermind" poster defined the 90s, the goodbye and good riddance poster defines the late 2010s.
Decorating with the Aesthetic
If you're actually planning on hanging one, don't just use thumbtacks. Seriously. It ruins the corners. If you’ve got a real-deal print, get a simple black thin-profile frame. It makes the blue pop and keeps the paper from curling due to humidity.
Some people do the "collage" thing. They'll put the Death Race for Love poster next to it. It creates a timeline. You see the evolution from the raw, blue heartbreak of the first album to the more chaotic, fiery orange vibes of the second.
What most people get wrong about the art
A lot of people think the car on the poster is just a random drawing. It’s actually a representation of a Nissan 180SX. It fits the "drifting" culture that Juice was obsessed with. It’s not just a "goodbye" to a girl; it’s a literal departure. If you see a version of the poster where the car looks like a generic sedan, it’s a fake. The specific silhouette of that 180SX is crucial to the original design intent.
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How to find authentic versions in 2026
Checking for authenticity is tougher now than it was five years ago.
- Check the Source: The 999 Club is the only place for "official-official" estate-approved merch.
- Verify the Artist Credit: Look for mentions of Mason London or Joe Prytherch in the product description.
- Paper Weight: If it feels like a standard piece of printer paper, it’s a bootleg. Real posters are usually 175-200 gsm.
It's about more than just a piece of paper. It's about a moment in music history that felt incredibly personal to millions of people.
Actionable Next Steps for Collectors
If you are looking to add a goodbye and good riddance poster to your collection, start by deciding which version resonates with you most. The "Anniversary Edition" prints often feature updated colors or additional "Easter eggs" hidden in the background sketches that weren't in the 2018 original.
Once you have your poster, avoid placing it in direct sunlight. The blue inks used in these specific prints are notorious for fading into a dull grey if they hit too much UV light. A UV-protected acrylic frame is a small investment that keeps the art looking like it just came off the press. Finally, if you're buying from a secondary market like Grailed or Depop, always ask for a photo of the "999" branding usually found on the back or in the bottom corner to ensure you're getting a piece of the official legacy.