Are these pictures of a tribe of renegade Teletubbies making their way through the land of the Moomintrolls?

"No," says their creator, 34-year-old Robert Ramsden, insisting his characters were fully-formed adults when Laa-Laa and Po were no more than a twinkling in an animator's eye.

His inspiration isn't beamed in through a TV aerial but comes from the people of Brighton, where he has lived for 11 years.

"Sometimes I'll see a little incident," he says.

"For example, a little old lady looking down at her dog. I'll take that image and build a story round it."

The results are both calming and unsettling, a series of magical retro cartoons where confused creatures do odd things in a land possibly created by a nostalgic god fond of the Seventies.

"My characters explore their world," says Robert.

"They don't always get it right first time."

Cue The Sea Queue where a line of bemused creatures stand behind each other looking out to sea.

"The one at the front is having a great time but you do wonder what the others are doing," says Robert, laughing.

Before he got to know these imaginary animals, his first love was landscape painting.

Born in Yorkshire, he became creative at the age of 15 and could be seen roaming the hills until the world of cartoons called and he turned his back on traditional art and plunged into the independent comic scene.

He has since had exhibitions in London and Japan and created television animations.

He now teaches animation at City College in Brighton and is writing a children's book.

The gallery is open from 10am until 6pm, Monday to Saturday. 01273 571660.

Preview by Olivia Edward, features@theargus.co.uk