It’s no secret that I have an obsession with the Daily Planet. Honestly, I don’t recall the day I fell in love with the newspaper, but to take terminology from my friends in the Superman Podcasting world, my Mt. Rushmore or tentpoles of fandom are “Smallville,” “Justice League: Unlimited,” “Superman: The Animated Series” and the Fleischer Superman cartoons.
I attribute my passion for journalism and love for Lois Lane to those four impactful Superman shows. However, if I truly wanted a pop culture icon to thank for my introduction to the world of superheroes, it’d probably raise a few eyebrows… but in a comedic way.
It all started with a talking dog, actually. A very well-known mystery solver who once teamed up with Gotham’s greatest detectives in the 70s. Yes, I’m talking about Scooby-Doo. Mystery Inc.’s team-up crossover with Batman and Robin on a rerun I saw as a kid on the Boomerang channel was my introduction to the concept of superheroes, and my world forever changed.
Through Batman, I found Superman. Shortly after learning of superheroes, I came across “Superman: The Animated Series” and it’s “World’s Finest” episodes on DVD at my local Walmart. I asked my grandmother, who raised my sisters and me, along with my grandfather, if we could get it.
It was a fairly inexpensive DVD with a cardboard case and a plastic snap hatch on the opening side, so I figured my odds of getting this movie I wanted were fair. She looked at me, looked at the movie, and placed it in her cart. We bought BBQ chicken bites, purchased the remaining groceries, and headed home. I was eagerly reading the case on the 15-minute drive back to the farm while munching on those delicious wings when I first read the words Lois Lane.
I thought, “What a fun name.” After getting home, helping my grandma unload a crap ton of groceries, and completing my chores (I was a good kid… I swear I completed my chores), I popped in the movie and settled on the couch in our basement. The old box TV showed me my future.
The scene that introduced me to Lois Lane was a masterclass. There she was, on Air Force One, being the beautiful badass we all know and love. Her clever quips, sarcastic nature, and gentle ribbing of coworker Clark Kent were all I needed to fall in love with the world of the Daily Planet. I wanted to be her. She was such an inspiration.
You see, when I say I love the Daily Planet, I truly mean I love Lois Lane. But you can’t have one without the other. So, I have made it my life’s mission to make the Daily Planet a reality because I want there to be a platform for everyone to find their voice. I want this once-fictitious media outlet to boost stories and enable every person to be Lois Lane (or Clark Kent if that flaps your cape).
So, after watching all of “Smallville,” witnessing the majesty of the Planet in “Superman Returns,” and feeling the Superman hype during 2013’s “Man of Steel,” I set out to create this Daily Planet a decade ago.
In 2014, I started the Twitter page, now using @DailyPlanetDC. I began publishing god-awful Online Editions and grew a following reporting on fictional and factual events. Since then, we’ve dropped the fiction and only reported on the facts, but the creative aspect was fun nonetheless. We cultivate a Creative Works section under our current masthead to call back to our roots because, well, creative stories also need to be told.
Where heroes are born, and the story continues
It has been a long ten years. The road from the beginning to here was treacherous and turbulent. A lot of life happened during that decade, and I’m thankful the Daily Planet was there when I needed it. It was a necessary outlet, but I’ll explore that further by discussing the Planet’s history in a separate posting.
Anyway, this Planet, the one “Where heroes are born, and the story continues,” has grown. In the past half-decade, we have fostered a community of nerds, writers, vloggers, podcasters and passion posters. It has been a new wave of journalism.
When I came up with that tagline in my treehouse in the 2010s, I never imagined I’d be talking about the people I would come to know. It was originally a callback to Superman’s origins and how the Daily Planet played a part. Still, it grew into a mission statement describing every scribe holding a byline under our famed ringed globe. I’m really proud of that.
Rebranding in Metropolis
As time progressed, so too did the Daily Planet. We’re a full-fledged news source now. A budding media outlet based in the City of Lakes, the Metropolis of the Midwest — Minneapolis.
Since moving to the city in late 2021, the Daily Planet has grown roots in the Twin Cities community. We’ve explored and grown, and we’re happy to call it home. I’ve decided to undergo a complete rebrand to celebrate our established individuality—something that echoes our past successes, becons our future, and pays homage to our source of inspiration.
In true Daily Planet nature, though, I wanted everyone to pitch in their ideas for what they hope to see from a real iteration of the Daily Planet. What would the perfect logo look like to you? What comes to mind when you think of the publication?
Don’t fret if you don’t know every major logo in the Daily Planet’s archives. I’ve prepared a list below to help you recall that Daily Planet knowledge. Remember that we will keep the iconic globe feature; we’re just going to have our own design. Beyond that, we’re open to all opinions.
1938 — The Daily Star
Before there was the Daily Planet, there was the Daily Star. When Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first created Superman, he originally worked for a paper inspired by the Toronto Daily Star, which once employed a young Joe Shuster as a newsboy.
1939, onward — The Daily Star
The Daily Star remains in Superman canon to this day, often depicted as the Daily Planet’s main competitor in Metropolis. Superman co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster changed the newspaper masthead to the Daily Planet to better combat copyright claims, likely to them knowing that the only regional paper that possessed that name had closed its doors over a decade before they published “Action Comics” no.1.
1940s — Fleischer Cartoons
Fleischer Studios Superman is responsible for so much Superman lore, but one of the most iconic staples it introduced was the enormous rooftop globe and its smaller, matching counterpart above the main entrance. They also incorporated a globe into the masthead of the newspaper. The comics soon adopted these features making it a Metropolis landmark.
1940s — Superman Serials
There is a lot going on in this logo. The globe resembles Krypton from golden-era comics rather than Earth, and is it the Titanic? This font is also not my favorite, but it’s neither here nor there. This Daily Planet logo was prominently featured in the Superman Serials of the late 1940s, starring Kirk Alyn as Superman and Minneapolis resident Noel Neill as the first-ever live-action Lois Lane.
1950s — ‘Adventures of Superman’
Superman has a rich history, and so does the Daily Planet. There are many versions of the logo, and “Adventures of Superman” is no exception. The logo used many subtle variations but still bolstered an iconic globe-decorated masthead.
1960s — Comics
In much of the comics, the Daily Planet logo was just text on a drawing of a page on the actual page of a comic book. Sometimes, there was a globe, and sometimes, there wasn’t. It’s a simple callback to a classic time in comics.
1970s — Comics House Ads
The Daily Planet House Ads were a series of DC-run advertisements that ran on the back pages of DC comics from 1976 to 1981. The ads were styled like one-sheet newspaper pages with headlines, stories, and features. Over the years, several popular features emerged, including Bob Rozakis’s Answer Man column and Fred Hembeck’s gag strips.
1970s — Comics
The Daily Planet House Ads eventually evolved, giving way to the modern Daily Planet logo that would be featured more prominently in comics.
1978-1982 — Superman Blockbusters
“Superman: The Movie,” Directed by Richard Donner and starring Christopher Reeve as Superman, introduced many aspects to the character’s lore. One major component that I’ll always appreciate is how seriously the production team took the sets. They made the Daily Planet appear as a fully functioning newspaper of the 1970s and redesigned the Daily Planet logo to look more realistic. This iteration was so iconic that it was used as the foundation for the Planet’s branding in every Superman motion picture since and was also utilized in the 2000s Superman origin show, “Smallville.”
1980s — Comics
As the Daily Planet House Ads closed, a more recognizable logo was formed. It introduced the gold color fully, but it also introduced the globe in various colors, like blue, grey, and more.
1970s-1990s — The Death of Superman
Many Superman fans have seen this iteration of the Daily Planet logo. It appeared on the masthead of many in-comic newspapers that read “Superman Dead.” It was also carefully placed above the Daily Planet Building’s main entrance as Superman battled the creature Doomsday to death. Wrapped in the arms of his love, Lois Lane, Superman died at the stoop of the paper’s main offices hoping for the safety of all in the world with this famed ringed globe overlooking the entire scene.
1990s — ‘Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman’
Hey aLex-a, que the generic 90s piano music. “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” introduced the romantic story between Superman and Lois to thousands of living rooms, reaching beyond comic books. Their Daily Planet logo (or logos, because they featured many) was a cross between the film and comic features. Its iconography remains unmatched simply to the show’s storytelling.
1990s – 2000s — Animated Universe
This was my introduction to the Daily Planet. This logo was prominently featured in Bruce Timm’s animated universe, first appearing on front pages in “Superman: The Animated Series.” It has appeared in other cartoons since, including feature-length animated films.
2000s, ongoing — Comics (Modern)
When the “52” comic book series was running in the early 2000s, so too was an online news magazine posing as the Daily Planet in that universe. It published stories that complimented the events unfolding in one of DC’s greatest storylines. They also upgraded the comic book logo with a fresh splash of gold yellow (a callback to the house ads from the 70s) to better associate with the iconic Metropolis Landmark in the city’s skyline. Though extremely simplistic, I appreciate this look.
2006 — ‘Superman Returns’
I’m going to be perfectly candid right now: There has never been a more iconic Daily Planet, in all its forms, than that appearing in 2006’s blockbuster “Superman Returns.” Even though many describe this film as somewhat lackluster, many have agreed that the Planet, its headquarters, and the surrounding environments of Metropolis were fantastic.
2000s-2010s — Smallville
Somebody save me… because this yellow is loud! When the “Metropolis years” (as Zach Moore from Always Hold On To Smallville would say) rolled around, the Daily Planet underwent a massive rebrand. They wanted to modernize the logo featured in 1978’s “Superman: The Movie,” but they really missed the mark.
2000s — Smallville (Classic)
The Daily Planet logo received a noir rebrand for a single episode in season six, but it was so nostalgic that I felt it was worth mentioning. It only appeared briefly in the smoke-filled bullpen, but its call back to classic logos from the past was really compelling. It screams integrity to me.
2016 — ‘Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice’
This modern take on a 1978 classic was crisp and clever. We loved it here at dailyplanetdc.com so much that we adapted the look for our own publication. We have used many of the logos on this list, but this one is one of the best, in my honest opinion.
2010s — Supergirl
“Supergirl,” which ran from 2015-2021, used a somewhat lackluster version of the Daily Planet logo for establishing shots. Let’s just say that the “Superman & Lois” establishment of a new standalone logo was well received by me.
2020s — ‘Superman & Lois’ (Modern)
“Superman & Lois” prominently features two Daily Planet logos on their show. They have a bold, modern logo and a classic one used in flashbacks (most of the time). The modern one is more corporate and stale, similar to the Daily Planet featured in the show’s first season.
2020s — ‘Superman & Lois’ (Classic)
The classic Daily Planet logo of “Superman & Lois” will be featured more in the fourth and final season of the show. It provides a nostalgic feeling while recalling vibes from the Richard Donner iteration. The Engravers Old English font makes a return, too, visually tying this logo in with all the ones featured in movies. Even James Gunn’s upcoming blockbuster, “Superman,” will share similarities with this type of logo.
Now — Minneapolis
Our Daily Planet logo crispens the font while prominently displaying the globe, making it larger than any other logo. I did this to see who uses this version and where it may be. It’s popped up in comics recently and has appeared across the net.
We want to hear from you!
The Daily Planet wants to hear from you! What do you want from the logo? Comment below with your opinions!
I like our current personally. I.like Superman and Lois modern one as well
Thanks for responding, Jimmy! I also love our current one, but it’s not ours. In order to grow we need to become more self identifiable.
Hi Zack,
Lovely article and valuable reference. Thank you. I’d love to see this article updated with the DP logo from “My Adventures With Superman” and also the James Gunniverse version.
Hey, thanks Jon!!! I will have to do that!! I have both at my disposal now after initially publishing this piece. Thanks for your constructive input ❤️
[…] had written a prior article showcasing every Daily Planet newspaper logo in history. I looked at those. Some were a generic planet. Some looked like Saturn. Some looked […]