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As global wealth editor for Forbes, Matthew Miller has presided over some of the magazine's most high-profile creations, The Forbes 400 and The Celebrity 100 among them.

And yet, it's the fervor generated by a measly list of 13 names that has surprised him. ... And that's just from interest inside the hallways of Forbes, to say nothing of public interest in the magazine's Top-Earning Dead Celebrities list.

"It's kind of shocking how much people care about this," Miller says. "But it doesn't surprise me that the American people have such an appetite for celebrity."

The fact is, in this Age of Celebrity there is significant earnings potential once a star has shuffled off this mortal coil.

Exhibit A: Michael Jackson. While Miller wouldn't talk specifics, he did confirm the King of Pop, who died just four months ago, cracked the ninth edition of the Dead Celebrities rankings, which will be unveiled Tuesday night. And the Jackson estate's bank account should only increase this week as "Michael Jackson's This Is It," a film chronicling his preparations for 50 London concerts scheduled to have begun shortly after his death, hits theaters for, at minimum, a two-week engagement.

Nationwide, interest in the film has run high, with showings selling out as soon as tickets were offered. It debuts at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

For years, celebrities have remained moneymakers long after their deaths. Elvis Presley, for example, earned $52 million in 2008, some 32 years after his passing. He is one of five personalities - the others are Charles M. Schulz, John Lennon, Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) and Marilyn Monroe - to pop up in every one of Forbes' rankings.

Of the five, only Monroe doesn't have a deep catalog of characters or merchandise to tap into. Her popularity, Miller says, owes more to her unique status in pop culture.

"She was THE pin-up girl," he says. Today, there seems to be a new flavor of bombshell every week. There wasn't anyone like Monroe in her time, and her estate has been able to parlay that into millions of dollars in endorsements on top of whatever royalties from films it also earns.

There is, of course, something else about Monroe, Elvis, Kurt Cobain and many others who have at one time graced the Forbes list: They died young.

"They die before their 70s, when cancer gets them," Miller says. "You can't remember Marilyn Monroe in old age because she died young. So, I think that enhances that image and helps to sell them."

One local arena where Jackson's magnetism can still be felt is Resorts Atlantic City, where the Boogie Nights club regularly features appearances by Michael Jackson impersonator Pete Carter.

"I don't know if it has to do with celebrities passing away as much as the fact that people become very nostalgic when they hear music or see a performance of music from a particular era," says Resorts spokesman Brian Cahill. "For example, I was a teenager at the time when Michael Jackson was releasing 'Thriller.' So, every time that I personally hear 'Thriller,' it brings back memories of when I was entering high school.

Carter, 25, of Toms River, has portrayed Jackson for about nine years, even having had the chance to meet the singer a handful of times over the years. Every time Jackson's name popped up in headlines, Carter's phone would ring more. But he's noticed an increase in interest since the pop icon's death.

When people scooped up Jackson's music in the days and weeks after his death, many did so via digital avenues, cutting out a potential revenue stream going forward. If, for instance, there is a vast trove of unreleased recordings, that could prop up his estate for years to come and make him, like Elvis, a staple of Forbes' rankings. Or, he could be like others who have had boffo years only to fall off the list entirely 12 months later.

Carter, for one, believes it'll be the former. "I don't think it's going to die down any time soon," he says.

Staff writer Courtney McCann contributed to this story.

Contact Kevin Clapp:

609-272-7255

KClapp@pressofac.com

Late income

Forbes' Top-Earning Dead Celebrities of 2008:

1. Elvis

Presley

$52M

2. Charles M. Schulz

$33M

3. Heath

Ledger

$20M

4. Albert

Einstein

$18M

5. Aaron Spelling

$15M

6. Dr. Seuss

$12M

7. John

Lennon

$9M

8. Andy

Warhol

$9M

9. Marilyn

Monroe

$6.5M

10. Steve

McQueen

$6M

11. Paul

Newman

$5M

12. James

Dean

$5M

13. Marvin

Gaye

$3.5M

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