Exclusive Penguin Concept Art Showcases Oz Cobb’s Underground Operation

WARNING! The following contains major spoilers for The Penguin Episode 7!

The latest episode of HBO’s The Penguin took audiences back in time, showing a young Oz Cobb’s complicated relationship with his brothers. The episode examined the history of Gotham City’s underground railway cart system, which Oz had transformed into his base of operations in the present day. Like much of the Gotham City shown in The Penguin, the sets for the abandoned cart depot are rich with history and Easter eggs, and production designer Kalina Ivanov has kindly shared the beautiful concept art and set photos with MovieWeb for fans to scour over.

The trolley depot is perhaps the show’s most stunning set, which hits audiences out of nowhere in the second half of the season. According to Kalina Ivanov, the entire set was based on a real piece of unknown New York history. “Do you know that New York City really had trolley depots and really had trolley cars, and they all went out of business in the late 50s, and even the 59th Street Bridge had one on it?” Ivanov said during an interview with MovieWeb. While the sets are based on real locations in New York, Kalina and her team adapted the designs to fit the aesthetic of the Penguin. Ivanov explained that arched ceilings became a constant theme in the show’s sets, especially in the Falcone Mansion. As a result, she wanted to incorporate that design into Oz’s drug operation, symbolizing that he had finally become as successful as the Falcones. She recalled:

“I did some preliminary concepts, and I wanted to play with the idea of the vaulted ceilings and the arches to continue that idea. And so I showed some early concepts of both spaces [to Matt Reeves and Lauren LeFranc]. It could be [like a] shop warehouse, or it can be this magical place with these vaulted ceilings.”

The depot is first shown at the end of Episode 5 when Cobb takes Victor (Rhenzy Feliz) down to the abandoned station. In Episode 6, the trolley depot has transformed into a prosperous drug grow room, with tunnels leading all over Gotham City. Then, at the end of Episode 7, as Oz becomes a target for SOfia and Salvator once again, the depot is blown sky-high. Check out the concept art below, which shows the evolution of the Trolley Depot:

The Penguin’s Trolley Carts Feature Easter Eggs to Batman Comics

It wouldn’t be a superhero show without a few Easter Eggs hidden across the sets. Kalina Ivanov has the fortunate job of working with the rest of the crew to hide the Easter eggs in The Penguin, and is likely the only person that knows exactly where they all are. While she didn’t disclose every Easter egg in the trolley depot set, she did give fans a good starting place to begin their search, saying:

”
The numbers on the trolley cars are Easter eggs.
They all relate to comic book issues.”

The final episode of The Penguin is almost upon us. Across seven episodes, the series has reinvigorated audiences’ interest in comic book shows, and reignited online discussions and discourse about what the most minute of details could mean for the future of Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe. The Penguin‘s success also spells good news for future spin-off shows, like the resurrected Arkham Asylum series. Matt Reeves has also revealed an interest in creating more spin-offs focusing on Batman’s villains. If they’re anywhere near as good as the Penguin, even villains as stupid as Baby Face, Condiment King, and Kite Man could shine in a dark and gritty standalone show.