Well, last night I finished the bottom floor of the Planet. Honestly, if feels pretty strange to be done. It’s close to 6,000 LEGO elements including a number of custom printed decorative tiles. It represents about two years worth of work, and stands 23 inches tall. Here’s a few more photos:

It’s been such a presence in my life for so long, it’s hard to even know what to say about it. I’m thrilled how it came out, wish dearly that my dad had been able to see it, and now have an 8-year-old pestering me to make LexCorp next (he’s probably going to get his wish, although I have also committed to doing Wizard of Oz for the Once Upon a Time display for the LEGO club I’m in for the 2024 Bricks by the Bay show).

It’s really funny to look back at my notes about what I wanted to include in the model:

• Large globe on top
• The “stairstep” look from the comics
• The lobby globe like was shown in the 1978 movie
• Face-to-face desks in the “bullpen” for Lois and Clark.
• Roof access where Lois can go to smoke or take a ride with Superman, resembling where Clark (finally) took flight in the finale of Smallville.
• A copy machine/room
• Break room
• Janitor closet for Clark to change in
• Perry White’s office
• Desk for Jimmy
• Office details like water coolers
• A store room with boxes of papers
• Papers: I spent the night with Superman, Why the world doesn’t need Superman, Why the World Needs Superman

A surprising number of these did actually make it into the model in some form.

I’ve also been working on making the instructions for the Planet build worthy (read: perfect) and to that end, I’ve written this introduction for them:

For this LEGO model of the Daily Planet I drew inspiration from the Planet of the comics and movies, and I’ve leaned hard into the Art Deco roots of the building, including the facade, exterior signage, and of course the Chrysler Building-esque dome at the top. I’ve also sprinkled in a number of Easter eggs that I hope will delight Superman fans of all ages as they discover them for themselves.

Before I close, I’d like to talk briefly about what the Daily Planet has meant to me, and why I decided to design it.

My own connection to the Daily Planet began about 30 years after Superman first appeared, when I was a boy sitting on my father’s lap watching him draw the Superman shield (and sometimes the Bat signal) for me. He loved all things Superman, and taught me to love the character too. He insisted on taking the entire family to see the Christopher Reeve film in 1978 and he loved many of the portrayals of the character afterwards from Smallville to Man of Steel. I like to think that if he’d have lived long enough to see this creation, he’d have laughed, told me how much he liked it, and then made a few small suggestions to improve it. For these reasons, I’d like to dedicate this design to his memory.
Enjoy the Daily Planet!