Children's Media | michaelkirklane

Michael Kirk Lane is a children’s media producer, performer, and teaching artist.

Lane currently serves as one of the Executive Producers of Duncan the Skunk and The Big Costume Trunk, alongside series creator Jake Bazel.

Down in a cozy, crafty den under a theatre on 45th Street lives a small skunk with a BIG imagination. Oh. And BIG feelings! It's true, sometimes being a six-year-old skunk stinks. But Duncan has Grandma by his side, and she’s a star of the skunk stage and screen. When Duncan stumbles on a new emotion, they head to Grandma's old costume trunk and ACT! IT! OUT!.

An earlier version of this preschool puppet series premiered in September 2021 on Hellosaurus.

On the set of Duncan The Skunk and the Big Costume Trunk with Jake Bazel, Juliet Menz, Alan Muraoka & Jennifer Barnhart

For over a decade Lane has served as an Associate Artist and Associate Producer for No Strings Productions. No Strings is a non-profit production company that makes educational puppet films for children in troubled areas of the world. Founded by longtime Muppeteer Kathy Mullen, and former Executive Vice President and Creative Director of Henson Productions, Michael K. Frith, the company has made films on HIV/Aids awareness for sub-Saharan Africa, nutrition and public health for Madagascar, trauma healing and peace building for Syrian refugees, and most recently made their first fully animated piece for survivors of the genocide of the Rohingya people. Lane has worked in many areas of production for No Strings and is also a voice actor in the latest animated film. Lane was also part of the team that went as No Strings accepted the Villanova University's Adela Dwyer-St. Thomas of Villanova Peace Award for in 2016.

In addition to his work with No Strings, Lane serves as Associate Producer and member of the English voice cast for International Children’s Television’s YouTube series The Flying Tent. This series is also used throughout school in Pakistan to teach English.

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Lane also lends an ear to Leslie Carrara-Rudolph and her candy obsessed creation, Lolly Lardpop as a Creative Consultant for the duo's live cabaret shows as well as other media releases.

Lane’s philosophy on children’s media is fully influenced from years of working alongside Michael K. Frith: Children’s Media is at its best, when helping to make the world a better place.

As a teaching artist for over 20 years, Lane has taught all ages from pre-school to retirement homes. In each class he brings the same philosophy to his teaching, no matter the age of the students. “Art, Theatre, and Music are ways for us to connect with our most authentic self, and to explore the world around us.”