Songfacts®:

• Back in the era between World War I and World War II, one of the more popular ways for saying goodbye was, "See you in the funny papers!" - a phrase that suggested, with a wink, that life might take a turn for the absurd before the next meeting, much like the chaotic, exaggerated antics of the characters in the newspaper comics.
  
  Mac Miller takes this quaint little expression and spins it into something far weightier. In "Funny Papers," he plays with the contrast between life's comedy and tragedy, much like an old comic strip sitting side by side with an obituary. The result is a song that acknowledges the grand narrative of existence, where we are all just one plot twist away from slapstick or sorrow.
• The song's production creates a dreamy, atmospheric backdrop that complements Miller's reflective lyrics. The producers are:
  
  Larry Fisherman (Miller's alter ego as a producer)
  Taylor Graves
  Thundercat
  
  Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner is renowned for his virtuosic bass playing. He frequently works with Kendrick Lamar and played on much of To Pimp a Butterfly.
  
  Taylor Graves hails from a talented family of musicians, with his brother Cameron having once shared a band with Kamasi Washington and Thundercat's brother, Ronald Bruner Jr.
• "Funny Papers" appears on Balloonerism, Mac Miller's second posthumous release. Recorded in 2014 during the same feverishly creative period as Faces, the album finally surfaced in 2025 - proof, if any were needed, that Mac Miller's artistry continues to resonate, even from beyond the funny pages.