LOS ANGELES—Over the past few years, the limelight had finally started to dim on Michael Jackson, as attention focused more on his troubled personal life than his unparalleled talents. But with yesterday's disheartening news of his tragic death at the age of only 50, the King of Pop is back in the forefront of our minds as we remember not only our first experiences with his music — being scared out of our wits when we saw the "Thriller" video for the first time, or trying to moonwalk across our kitchen floors — but also the role he played in the culture at large.

In this photo gallery, we show how his iconic status transcended the realm of music, leading some visual artists to immortalize him — whether earnestly or with a raised eyebrow — in paint, clay, and film.