ese ▁com ics " ▁or ▁" J apan ese - style ▁com ics ". ▁ ▁C oul ton ▁W augh ▁attempted ▁the ▁first ▁compreh ensive ▁history ▁of ▁American ▁com ics ▁with ▁The ▁Comics ▁( 1 9 4 7 ). ▁ ▁Will ▁E is ner ' s ▁Comics ▁and ▁Se qu ential ▁Art ▁( 1 9 8 5 ) ▁and ▁Scott ▁Mc Cloud ' s ▁Under standing ▁Comics ▁( 1 9 9 3 ) ▁were ▁early ▁attempts ▁in ▁English ▁to ▁formal ize ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁com ics . ▁ ▁David ▁Car rier ' s ▁The ▁A est het ics ▁of ▁Comics ▁( 2 0 0 0 ) ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁full - length ▁treatment ▁of ▁com ics ▁from ▁a ▁philosoph ical ▁perspective . ▁ ▁Prom inent ▁American ▁attempts ▁at ▁definitions ▁of ▁com ics ▁include ▁E is ner ' s , ▁Mc Cloud ' s , ▁and ▁Har vey ' s . ▁ ▁E is ner ▁described ▁what ▁he ▁called ▁" sequ ential ▁art " ▁as ▁" the ▁arrangement ▁of ▁pictures ▁or ▁images ▁and ▁words ▁to ▁narr ate ▁a ▁story ▁or ▁dram at ize ▁an ▁idea "; ▁ ▁Scott ▁Mc Cloud ▁defined ▁com ics ▁as ▁" ju xt ap osed ▁p ict orial ▁and ▁other ▁images ▁in ▁deliber ate ▁sequence , ▁intended ▁to ▁convey ▁information ▁and / or ▁to ▁produce ▁an ▁a est h etic ▁response ▁in ▁the ▁vie wer ", ▁a ▁strictly ▁formal ▁definition ▁which ▁det ached ▁com ics ▁from ▁its ▁historical ▁and ▁cultural ▁tra ppings . ▁ ▁R . C . ▁Har vey