[TameAntelope]

He's a decade deceased, so that's probably not helping his popularity...

But I'd argue he is still popular, though the very nature of what "popularity" means has changed even since he passed, so I don't know honestly how to really even address the comparison to modern "YouTube" stars.

[danbst]

When I was a kid, I didn't know he was alive when I read his books.

[TameAntelope]

Sure, but he knew he was alive, and being alive is a huge advantage if you want to address interesting topics in a way that matches well with readers of the time period you're currently in.

Being alive, generally, is useful for reaching audiences. Not everyone needs to be alive to do this, but it really does help, you know...