“In the decade of the 1930s, even the great city of Metropolis was not spared the ravages of the world-wide depression. In the times of fear and confusion, the job of informing the public was the responsibility of the Daily Planet, a great metropolitan newspaper, whose reputation for clarity and truth had become a symbol of hope for the city of Metropolis.”
Superman: The Movie (1978)
General Details of the Daily Planet
Sidewalk, Marquee Sign, and First Floor Lobby
The Third Floor: The Print Room
The Fourth Floor: Perry’s Office, Mail, and Donuts!
The Roof aka Lois’ Smoking Lounge
The Globe, aka The Cherry On Top
Introduction
Few building in the annals of comic books hold the same place in history or in the hearts of readers the way the Daily Planet does and none are more instantly recognizable. For many people, the name alone conjures images of the huge golden globe on the top with the lettering spelling “The Daily Planet” around it turning slowly against the skyline in the distance. But there were other features that have been almost as synonymous with the building including the famous “stair step” exterior, and the dome supporting the giant globe, both of which have found their way into this model.
When Superman first appeared in 1938 in Action Comics #1 his mild mannered alter ego, Clark Kent, worked for a newspaper called the Daily Star, named after The Toronto Daily Star, a real newspaper that Joe Shuster, one of the co-creators of Superman worked for as a newsboy.
The name of the fictional paper was originally intended to be the Daily Globe, but it was officially named The Daily Planet to avoid conflicting with real newspapers.
Over the years, the Daily Planet (or just, the “Planet,” as it’s often called) has had a sometimes confusing, and sometimes self-conflicting history as comic books have retroactively altered the newspaper’s history. Some of the more interesting changes have included the paper having been founded in 1775 as a weekly paper named “Our Planet,” and having been burned to the ground by British loyalists in 1783. Ten years later, as the fictional history went, George Washington himself wrote the inaugural editorial to the newly named Daily Planet. In 1938 (a year not selected at random I’m sure) the offices moved to the current building.
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 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!
Things of Little Importance 