Monster Donut: A Percy Jackson Podcast

This week, we're discussing THE FIRST EPISODE OF DISNEY+ PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS, I ACCIDENTALLY VAPORIZE MY PRE-ALGEBRA TEACHER, featuring interviews with showrunners Jon Steinberg & Dan Shotz, director James Bobin, & VFX supervisors Erik Henry and Jeff White!!!!!!! Discussion topics may include: the Perseus myth, Percy's anti-story agenda, Mythomagic, our first glimpse at Kronos,...

This week, we have Day 1 Trials of Apollo fan Ashley A.K.A. newathens on Tumblr on to discuss The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics may include: the early days of PJO DeviantArt, Meet The Robinsons, nostalgia, power shifts, Olympus, cycles of abuse, the next generation, Styx, THE RETURN OF MITHRAS, and the end of the main series. CHECK OUT OUR NEW PATREON!!!! PJOTV SEASON 1 PREDICTI...

This week, we're joined by Darien from Muses of Mythology to discuss The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics may include: funerals, Frank Zhang, gaslighting, Reyna's relationship to romance, living past your time, and the naval battle that could have been. Have a question? Want to contribute your own analysis? Feel like arguing? Email monsterdonutpodcast@gmail.com . Come say hi and ch...

This week, Phoebe's fighting demons and Emily makes it worse while trying to talk about The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics may include: Jason Grace, the labyrinth's continued ties to grief, Teen Wolf, Patroclus parallels, Piper's identity, Grover's leadership, legacy, the power of words, Melpomene, and The Horse. Have a question? Want to contribute your own analysis? Feel like arg...

In a very special interlude episode, we're finally sharing our audio and stories from New York Comic Con, the Percy Jackson panel, and our roundtable interviews with Disney+ PJO Executive Producers Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz, EP and director of the first two episodes James Bobin, production designer Dan Hennah, costume designer Tish Monaghan, VFX Supervisor Erik Henry, and ILM VFX Supervisor Jeff...

This week, we're visiting the oracle in The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics may include: lovers-to-enemies, the real life Oracle of Trophonius, giving up immortality, fathers and sons, memory, Pacific Rim, cycles, Meditations (from Black Sails), and the new and improved names for the months. Have a question? Want to contribute your own analysis? Feel like arguing? Email monsterdon...

This week, we're finally kicking off our beloved Trials of Apollo series with The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics may include: NYCC, immortality, horror movie parallels, Over The Garden Wall, storytelling, Dungeons and Dragons, betrayals in the woods, and what it means to have a body. Have a question? Want to contribute your own analysis? Feel like arguing? Email monsterdonutpodca...

It's Chalice of the Gods week!! We're breaking down our predictions, reacting to the entire book with mic in hand, and coming back together to debrief The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics may include: Gilgamesh, stolen youth, AHS swim team lore, growing up, Luke's pre-The Lightning Thief heist on Olympus, helplessness, and spoilers for The Cursed Child. Play Chalice of the Go...

This week, we're wrapping up the Kane Chronicles crossovers with The Crown of Ptolemy by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics may include: godhood, movie dates, Percy's perception of himself, ancient weaponry, the Mist, and Luke's possession by Kronos. Have a question? Want to contribute your own analysis? Feel like arguing? Email monsterdonutpodcast@gmail.com . Come say hi and check out the sketches P...

While we await The Chalice of the Gods, we're reading The Son of Sobek and The Staff of Serapis by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics may include: the power of names, Chalice of the Gods bingo, Alexander the Great, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Annabeth's state of mind. Have a square we should include on our Chalice of the Gods bingo cards? Want to contribute your own analysis? Feel like arguing? Email mon...

This week, Phoebe and Emily look back at the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan, with help from your analysis and questions. Discussion topics include: a character-by-character analysis, the shift to third person, Dark Percy, the state of Percy and Annabeth's relationship, and the infamous Nachos After The War outtake. Have something you'd like us to discuss on the show? Email monsterdonutpo...

This week, we're wrapping up Heroes of Olympus with our favorite Blood of Olympus apologist, Manasa from Camp Half-Pod. Discussion topics include: blood sacrifices, archeology, determinism, Rick's cruise around Greece, trauma, and even MORE Jason Grace analysis. Have a question to add to our Heroes of Olympus wrap-up? Want to contribute your own analysis? Feel like arguing? Email monsterdonutpodca...

This time around, we're venturing into Tartarus in The House of Hades by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics may include: desire, power, Riordanverse fandom history, Percy's apotheosis, fate, The Scene, and the importance of remembering. Have a question to add to our Heroes of Olympus wrap-up? Want to contribute your own analysis? Feel like arguing? Email monsterdonutpodcast@gmail.com . Come say hi an...

In this week's (belated) episode, we're reading The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics may include: the Hercules encounter, identity crises, Rome, Annabeth's fatal flaw, mystery cults, and Phoebe's inability to remember names. Have a question to add to our Heroes of Olympus wrap-up? Want to contribute your own analysis? Feel like arguing? Email monsterdonutpodcast@gmail.com . Come s...

This week, Phoebe and Emily read The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics include: New Rome, choice, vulnerability, The Princess Bride, pawns, and sacrifice. Have a question? Want to share your own analysis? Feel like arguing? Email monsterdonutpodcast@gmail.com . Come say hi and check out the sketches Phoebe made this episode on Twitter , Instagram , or TikTok ! @PJOPod on all platfo...

SPOILERS FOR HEROES OF OLYMPUS/TRIALS OF APOLLO & CONTENT WARNING FOR BRIEF MENTION OF SUICIDE (from 17:33 through 18:44) AHEAD!! This week, Phoebe's on her own and reading through The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro with her mic at the ready. Discussion topics include: disastrously wrong TSATS predictions, nightmares, The Percy Scene, House of Hades parallels, loneliness, and...

This week, we read the last (!) of the published short stories, Leo Valdez and the Quest for Buford by Rick Riordan, and The Son of Magic by Haley Riordan. Discussion topics may include: maenads, the bloody origins of live theater, Renaissance art history, what happened to the titan army, and dismantling the Riordanverse Empire. Have a question? Want to share your own analysis? Feel like arguing?...

To kick off The Heroes of Olympus, Charlie from Of The Eldest Gods joins us to discuss The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics include: a Jason Grace deep dive, Rick Riordan's signature, godly parent swaps, memory, and The Aeneid (Again. Sorry.) Have a question? Want to share your own analysis? Feel like arguing? Email monsterdonutpodcast@gmail.com . Come say hi and check out the sketches...

Before they get into The Heroes of Olympus, Phoebe and Emily read The Singer of Apollo and The Staff of Hermes by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics include: the original travel writers, the empathy link, how to snap, the Sumerians, Disneyland Paris, and following your dreams. Have something you'd like us to discuss on the show? Email monsterdonutpodcast@gmail.com or get in touch on Twitter , Instagr...

This week, Phoebe and Emily reflect on the entire Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan, accompanied by your analyses and questions! Discussion topics include: immortality, what Kronos' master plan really was, The Song of Achilles, Western Civilization, the Jonas Brothers, and the greatest love story ever told. Have something you'd like us to discuss on the show? Email monsterdonu...

Series finale time! This week, Phoebe and Emily investigate Luke's childhood in their shared hometown in Connecticut, discuss the epic highs and lows of high school football, and connect it all back to The Illiad in The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics include: Rick Riordan's 2007 encounter with Emily in Westport, legacy, fate, Supernatural Season 5, The Illiad, balance, and coming...

This week, Phoebe and Emily read Phoebe's favorite PJO short story, Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades from The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics include: Greek mystery cults, ghosts, the line between life and death, spoilers for the Hades video game, Orpheus, and a necessary Thalia deep dive. Want to submit a question or add your own analysis to our PJO Wrap-Up? Email monsterdonu...

In a short detour before the finale, Phoebe and Emily read Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon and Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot from The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics include: fear, marmots, camp legends, Percy's newfound confidence, and whether Annabeth REALLY planned all that. Want to submit a question or add your own analysis to our PJO Wrap-Up? Email monsterdonutpodc...

This week, Phoebe and Emily stumble through the maze in Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics include: Theseus parallels, grief, Danny Phantom, Percy's new powers, Ancient Greek sports, and what's going through Luke's mind right now. Have a question? Want to share your own analysis? Feel like arguing? Email monsterdonutpodcast@gmail.com . Come say hi and check out the sketches...

This week, Phoebe, Emily, and our first special guest (!), Fran from The Best Dam Camp, journey to San Fran in The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan. Discussion topics include: tone shifts, empathy, Percy's new and improved fatal flaw, the secret enemies-to-lovers Riordan Cut, and Medusa's new weapon possibilities. Have a question? Want to share your own analysis? Feel like arguing? Email monsterdonut...