By Emma Murphy | Talon Contributing Writer
Eli Murphy grew up watching cartoons, but as he matured, they became a routine of his childhood. While there are directors and writers conducting more grown up animated shows, they tend to be niche and cookie cutter.
With the pilot episode of their own show in the works, Murphy and his co-writer and director Stevie Maxwell, who are both Florida State University students, aim to challenge the industry with an independent adult cartoon named Arbor Square. The show follows an ensemble of unique characters, covering more mature topics and themes, all of which transpire in a fictional café inspired by a local coffee shop.
Murphy said he wants to take the humor and style of an average cartoon and apply a sitcom format to it. His overall goal is to make tangible character arcs and relatable human experiences, all inspired by transgressions at Serenity Café and Kava Bar in the heart of Tallahassee’s Railroad Square.
“There’s definitely an element of homage to it,” said Murphy. “It’s just this really cool subculture of people from all walks of life.”
Maxwell said he found a home at Serenity, which promotes itself as a “creative space for art, music, studying, networking, and community.” His goal is to share that feeling of community and support to anyone who seeks it through the show, especially for those who don’t feel seen in current media.
“The characters are messy and imperfect and doing their best and I want the show to reach people just like them: People of color, the disabled, queer and trans folks, neurodivergents,” Maxwell said. “I want to show Arbor Square to viewers who can see themselves in these characters and say, “Look! Look, they’re just like us! We’re all going through it and it’s OK to not have everything figured out.”
While the pilot is in the making, Murphy and Maxwell plant the seeds for their creation on Instagram, spanning the world building for their story further outside the traditional medium, while also updating supporters on the creation process. A few comments have already been posted from fans.
“I’m so excited for this,” wrote Nicolas Ortuzar.
Emma Murphy wrote this story about her brother Eli Murphy. Emma is a second-year Tallahassee Community College student from Tallahassee. She plans to study English at Florida State University.
