July 5, 2012 4:17 pm

Announcing Neil deGrasse Tyson at Comic-Con and new “Course of the Force Episode 1: The Hardwick, Menaced” video from The Nerdist Channel and Industrial Light & Magic

If you weren’t already planning on going to Comic-Con in San Diego, here is one more reason to go: StarTalk Radio host and director of the Hayden Planetarium astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will make his Comic-Con debut in the Indigo Ballroom on July 14^th at 12:00 PM. That’s when Nerdist Chris Hardwick hosts a panel of current and upcoming Nerdist Channel stars including Dr. Tyson. As you all know, StarTalk will be one of the new shows on The Nerdist Channel premiering soon.

The panel will also include Alex Albrecht and Alison Haislip, host and co-host of 4 Points and the “Course of the Force,” which is a relay from Santa Monica to San Diego to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation and featuring a special custom lightsaber.

We also just found out that there’s a StarTalk Radio live show scheduled for 4pm @ The Legend, 325 7th Ave., San Diego, CA 92101. (More on that as it develops.)

Speaking of “Course of the Force”, check out this new video from Industrial Light & Magic and The Nerdist Channel: “Course of the Force Episode I: The Hardwick, Menaced.”

Billed as a prequel to Chris’s journey to deliver the lightsaber from ILM in San Francisco to Santa Monica, the video features some fun guest stars, including R2-D2, a couple of car-stealing Ewoks, and Boba Fet (played by Breckin Meyer!).

To find out more about Comic-Con, read the Nerdist Channel Comic-Con panel press release.

Alas, I won’t be at Comic-Con this year, so take lots of pictures of the panel and share your experiences with us here on the blog, on our Facebook page, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest.

That’s it for now.
Keep Looking Up!