Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen. Today we’re travelling back in time, back to the Victorian era for a quick chat with the World’s Leading Victorian Explorator, Bertram Fiddle. Always in the shadow of the famous Sherlock Holmes, his lesser known advertures have finally surfaced in the media of today, and we’re here to shed some light on this man of mystery. Let’s begin.

Welcome to ‘The Daily Chunky Post’ Mr Fiddle. How has your day been so far?

B: Good Day, young Stephen. How are you? It’s very nice here, isn’t it? I do like your carpets…So far my day has been quite splendid. Crumpets for breakfast. Then Gavin and I have spent the morning tinkering with my contraptions.

Please tell us about yourself in 3 easy-to-follow steps.

B: Well, as most of your readers will probably know, I’m the World’s Leading Victorian Explorator. Famed for my daring deeds, adventures into the unknown and sense of panache. I do believe learning about me is required by law in some countries.

One of your greatest adventures has recently been documented on one of those digital box thingy-ma-jigs, and it seems to be very well received. How has it affected your life?

B: Yes, that’s right. Have you played it? It was the true story of how I found myself on the hunt for Geoff the Murderer, London’s most elusive serial killer. Somehow, the clever chaps at Rumpus Animation managed to record my exploits and put it INSIDE a computational device! You can actually play as me on your computer or iPaddle. It’s been described by some as quite possibly one of the finest point-and-click comedy murder mystery adventure games set in Victorian London you will play today.

Thanks so much for your time Mr Fiddle, would you mind introducing to us your great creator? The god-like, true mastermind behind it all. Mr Seb Burnett.

B: That fraud? He’s a charlatan! A nincompoop! A cock-eyed nim-gimmler! I’ll have nothing to do with him. *storms off from interview

Hello good sir. We’ve been friends for a few years now, but can you introduce yourself a little for our audience?

S: Hello Stephen. Was that Bertram I saw stomping down the corridor? I’m Seb. Co-founder of Rumpus Animation and the writer/illustrator behind Bertram’s Adventures.

Can you tell us about the creation of Bertram, and your inspiration and love of the Victorian era?

Bertram has been hanging around in my brain for about 8 years now. He’s sort of my alter-ego. A freelance explorer, who is always searching for adventures, but doesn’t actually enjoy trying new things.

I first started developing his character as an animation project and made a short film about him being stuck in a forgotten part of England called Lunkumshire. When Joe Wood and I started Rumpus he was one of the characters we wanted to develop. We wrote a few short film ideas, but never got round to making them. Then a few years ago we decided we wanted to try and make a game and we brought Bertram out of retirement, dusted his adventuring boots off and started adapting his world so it would work interactively.

He’s kind of a combination of a lot of influences. Victorian novels, cartoons and Hammer Horror films. I remember watching films like At the Earth’s Core, the Vogages of Sinbad and Journey to the Centre of the Earth when I was a kid. I thought they were brilliant. I want to make more episodes where Bertram can go off and have more fantastical adventures, but this first one is based around Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper sort of stories.

What has been the greatest challenges of creating such an in-depth ‘point and click’ adventure game?

S: Normally when I’m doing illustrations or animation I can control everything. The audience is a viewer and I reveal things at certain points for maximum hilarity or suspense. When you make a game you have to let the player control when and how and if things are going to happen. That was quite tricky. Still trying to make something funny and make sense although the story isn’t linear anymore.

Can you tell us how much time went in to the making of the game? and the time-scale from conception to launch?

S: Total production time was about a year, with 3 of us working full-time on it. We also had a sound composer who worked on it over the year, freelance animators, an extra background designer who came and helped when we needed them (and could afford them).

The actual concept for the game probably started about a year previously to that, but as I said before, Bertram has been around for years. I’ve got piles and piles of bits of paper with Bertram-related ideas scribbled on them. It could probably be described as the ramblings of a madman.

Are there any plans for a ‘live action’ moving picture of Bertram Fiddle? or any other projects in the near future?

S: Originally I planned to make an animated series of Bertram’s exploits. But I really love the possibilities that a game can bring to the World so I want to concentrate on making more interactive stories. I really, really want to make a game where you can go off and have multiple adventures… but budget and time are always a problem

What music is usually playing when you are hard at work?

SEB: I’ve got some French Disco/Soul/Hip-Hop mix on at the moment. But it varies… We share a studio so we have all sorts playing.

BERTRAM: I have various adventure themes that accompany my actions. It’s really rather invigorating when you pop to the shops and such like.

Finally, what’s the one thing that everyone should do today?

SEB: Go for a walk. Get inspired by what’s around you.

BERTRAM: Cut their toenails.

Thanks so much to you both for taking the time out of your busy schedules for us. Good luck on your adventures, Tally-ho!! Go download ‘Episode 1’ of their awesome game on Steam or iPaddle now.