Malden Reads is hosting a series of free movie screenings, featuring films that highlight themes from the community read’s 2013 featured selection “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie.

The film series starts next Wednesday, Feb. 13 with “American Splendor, a quirky and darkly comic film that illuminates the life of comic book writer Harvey Pekar. The film starts at 6 pm at the Malden Public Library.

The protagonist of Alexie’s book is a Spokane teenager who documents life’s trials and triumphs in the style of a comic book memoirist, and those illustrations are part of the story.

As the Washington Post noted after Pekar’s death in 2012, Pekar  “helped change the appreciation for, and perceptions of, the graphic novel, the drawn memoir, the autobiographical comic narrative," paving the way for books like Alexie’s.

“American Splendor” is a mix of fact and fiction based on Pekar’s life and work and stars Paul Giacometti as Pekar with cameos from the real-life Pekar and his real-life wife, Joyce Brabner.

Present at the screening will be Alan Vickers from New England Comics who will speak a bit about the history of comic books.

Organized by community groups, city leaders, and residents, in collaboration with the Malden Public Library and Malden Access TV, Malden Reads invites the community to read the same book and participate in a series of events related to the book’s themes.

For more information about Malden Reads, the featured selections and upcoming events, visit www.maldenreads.org. Upcoming events listings and details are continually being updated, so check back often!