Who is Scott McCloud from Understanding Comics and what is their importance?

Scott McCloud is the author of Understanding Comics. As a comics creator/artist/writer, McCloud has very specific concerns about the future of comics as a medium. He is disappointed that comics are still treated as a new genre, even in light of the discovery of early comics dating back thousands of years. McCloud feels that comics should be realistically compared to other works of art, including the written word, film, music, and theater.