I want to begin by saying, “I didn’t plan this timing to be so perfect.” Our Board of Directors convened a year ago to discuss a potential rebrand for this real-world interpretation of the Daily Planet.
When I decided to launch the new look for 2025, I had no idea it would coincide with the release of the new “Superman” teaser trailers throughout the week. What a happy coincidence!
I’ve been hard at work developing this news organization’s unique identity, and I’m proud of the progress I’ve made. It’s no secret that I find constant inspiration in the fictional newspaper from Superman lore. The Daily Planet has remained in my orbit for as long as I can remember and constantly rotates around my life.
I started this version of the paper in 2014 on Twitter. Whenever I could get online at the Benz Family Farm, I reported on interactions from role-play accounts. We had no Wi-Fi, so I had to use my cell phone data wisely, and I dedicated it all to the Daily Planet.
Over the years, I’ve embarked on an incredible journey. I’ve lost loved ones and gained new ones, all while honing my writing skills and refining my journalistic instincts. The Daily Planet has been there with me through it all.
It’s been quite a ride, and I’m happy to report that I’m not getting off this roller coaster just yet. It’s 2025, and we’re really real if little Zack could see me now.
Where heroes are born, and the story continues
Our official tagline, “Where heroes are born, and the story continues,” recalls our source of inspiration: Superman and Lois Lane. In comics, the Daily Planet is the first to report on the Man of Steel’s many adventures. The name “Superman” was actually coined by Lois and first published on the front page of the Metropolis broadsheet.
As I researched the Planet, I discovered so much. I wanted the rebrand to respect the comics while paying homage to the history that came before. Was the Daily Planet ever a real newspaper?
Superman has inspired generations since 1938, and the newspaper he worked at, once called the Daily Star, was renamed the Daily Planet by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel in 1940.
The origins of the Daily Planet reveal an intriguing history. Superman made his debut in “Action Comics No. 1,” where his alter ego, Clark Kent, worked for the Daily Star under Editor-in-Chief George Taylor. The newspaper’s name was inspired by Shuster’s childhood experience with the Toronto Daily Star, where he had once worked as a newsboy. It was renamed the Daily Planet due to possible copyright issues, but recent findings suggest it might have been inspired by a real-world newspaper, too.
The Chatham Daily Planet, located in Chatham, Ontario, adds another layer to this narrative. This real newspaper, which operated from the Daily Planet Building (no, really), may have influenced the name and concept of Superman’s fictional news source. This paper ceased publication in 1922 and merged with the Toronto Star.
With Superman’s history and the background of a newspaper that ceased to exist 100 years ago, I delved into what I called the “Minneapolis Rebrand.”
A logo designed by Superman
One of the greatest aspects of this rebrand is the fact that Superman designed the logo. No, really. Daniel Sanchez designed it. A lifelong Superman fan who portrays the caped wonder.
I sat down with Sanchez to discuss his process, inspiration, and more. You can hear that full interview below.
“When we were discussing the history of the foundation of the paper itself and that wonderful amusement park replica you made and the Daily Planet building with the globe that you had as a centerpiece of that, I just thought there’s so much love that was infused into what you did,” said Sanchez. “And when you and I were talking about the tenth anniversary, you really wanted this to capture the spirit of what you set out to do more than ever. uh kept going back to all the love that you’d put into this. You know, literally, your heart is beating at the center of this.”
Sanchez recalled being 10 years old in 1978 and watching as the black-and-white curtains opened to reveal a Superman comic. The camera zoomed in on the drawing of the Daily Planet globe atop the beautifully classic Gothic-style building from the 1930s, which felt just perfect.
“The perspective of it felt like if you are a citizen of Metropolis, that’s part of your day,” Sanchez said. ”You look up, and you see the globe atop the Planet at that heroic angle, and that is reassuring to you that you do have this beacon of truth.”
Sanchez continued by saying he dug deep into the history of the Daily Planet, the evolution of different newspapers to modernity, and the exploration of different globes during Superman’s time.
“I kind of went back to the Donner film; I thought, well, what did Perry have in his own office? Because if anyone endorsed the look of what it was supposed to be, it would be Perry, so I thought, well, yes, what did he have?”
Sanchez discussed the significance of a sculpture of the Daily Planet globe seen in a scene from “Superman II.”
According to Sanchez, he wanted to incorporate these elements into a new design that conveys excitement while combining the essence of the film and the character Perry.
“You can tell it was a prop,” said Sanchez. “The ribbon around the globe is of course, closely adhered to the sphere because, you know, otherwise it’d be it’d be more fragile. That’s the globe where when the three Kryptonian villains come in, Perry tries to defend Lois and Jimmy. So he picks it up, and he throws it only to have it conk off of Non’s head and bounce away.”
Sanchez explained how he created a new design by combining different elements that represent key ideas while keeping the excitement of the movie’s opening. He worked digitally to visualize how these elements could come together, which led to a clear realization of what to do next in the design.
Secret origins
The Daily Planet has enamored me for nearly 25 years of my life. In my obsessed admiration, I pieced together a Daily Planet Building out of upcycled materials. The result was a monument that would inspire a generation in my family that followed my own.
This seven-foot structure stands proudly in my apartment today, but it once stood within the heart of a miniature Metropolis—a place of adventure with my nieces, nephews, and little cousins.
Daniel discusses this building in his interview, sharing his views on its importance in our publication’s story.
This new logo design is meaningful to me because Daniel used that building as inspiration, capturing our community’s spirit. He integrated the building’s features into the design, showing our unique history and mission to encourage truth, innovation, and teamwork.
[…] In the introductory episode of Rooftop Conversations, we talk to Daniel Sanchez, a lifelong Superman fan responsible for the new look of the Daily Planet. […]