Large area homeotropic columnar ordering of pi-conjugated discotic liquid crystals (LCs) is crucial for certain device applications but generally hard to achieve. Here we report polymeric p-phenylene octamer poly-1 and its monomer 1 as the first surface modifiers for homeotropic columnar order of a variety of discotic LCs up to a macroscopic length scale. Their octameric o-phenylene parts are known to fold helically into a cylinder that is reminiscent of a pi-stacked column of discotic LCs. Through-view X-ray diffraction patterns of 1 suggested that this molecule adheres to the glass substrate and directs its cylindrical axis perpendicular to the glass surface. This face on orientation likely nucleates the homeotropic columnar order of discotic LC materials.