▁defined ▁com ics ▁as ▁" p ict orial ▁narr atives ▁or ▁expos itions ▁in ▁which ▁words ▁( o ften ▁letter ed ▁into ▁the ▁picture ▁area ▁within ▁speech ▁bal lo ons ) ▁usually ▁contribute ▁to ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁the ▁pictures ▁and ▁vice ▁vers a ". ▁ ▁Each ▁definition ▁has ▁had ▁its ▁det ract ors . ▁ ▁Har vey ▁saw ▁Mc Cloud ' s ▁definition ▁as ▁ex cluding ▁single - panel ▁cart o ons , ▁ ▁and ▁object ed ▁to ▁Mc Cloud ' s ▁de - emph as izing ▁ver bal ▁elements , ▁ins isting ▁" the ▁essential ▁characteristic ▁of ▁com ics ▁is ▁the ▁incorpor ation ▁of ▁ver bal ▁content ". ▁ ▁A aron ▁M esk in ▁saw ▁Mc Cloud ' s ▁theories ▁as ▁an ▁artificial ▁attempt ▁to ▁legit im ize ▁the ▁place ▁of ▁com ics ▁in ▁art ▁history . ▁ ▁Cross - c ult ural ▁study ▁of ▁com ics ▁is ▁complicated ▁by ▁the ▁great ▁difference ▁in ▁meaning ▁and ▁scope ▁of ▁the ▁words ▁for ▁" com ics " ▁in ▁different ▁languages . ▁ ▁The ▁French ▁term ▁for ▁com ics , ▁ ▁(" dra wn ▁strip ") ▁emphas izes ▁the ▁ju xt ap osition ▁of ▁drawn ▁images ▁as ▁a ▁defining ▁factor , ▁which ▁can ▁imply ▁the ▁ex clusion ▁of ▁even ▁phot ographic ▁com ics . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁ ▁is ▁used ▁in ▁Japanese ▁to ▁indicate ▁all ▁forms ▁of ▁com ics , ▁cart oon ing , ▁and ▁car ic ature . ▁ ▁Term in ology ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁com ics ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁com ics ▁medium ▁when