While Chris Hardwick has been around popular culture since the 1990s when he hosted MTV’s Singled Out, it seems his popularity has hit an all-time high since he has decided to proudly go back to his roots and embrace his inner nerd. Hardwick, known to many as The Nerdist for his podcast and twitter handle of the same name, has hosted a special edition of The Nerdist on BBC America in connection with the airing of the wildly popular Doctor Who show and  is the host of The Talking Dead on AMC a live aftershow for the television adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead. In each of these projects, as with his podcast, his book and various television appearances what Hardwick brings to the audience is shared fandom and geek glee.

It is, perhaps, for all of these reasons that ReedPop’s announcement yesterday on their blog Medium At Large of a partnership between The Nerdist and their company would come as no surprise to those who have followed Hardwick’s career. Unless, of course, you don’t know who ReedPop is (completely forgivable if you don’t, by the way)!

ReedPOP produces: New York Comic Con, C2E2, Star Wars Celebration, PAX, PAX East, the UFC Fan Expo and the New York Anime Fest. Get a unique perspective on all the shows and the mediums they serve from the dudes in charge of making them cool.

So far the blog has stated that their “…partnering together to bring Nerdist to C2E2 [Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo] and NYCC [New York Comic Con] and a whole lot more.” If this still sounds a little too vague for you to take, here’s their translation:

The basics are that Nerdist will be in our exhibit hall, Hardwick will host our marquee events, and the talent from our shows will pop up a lot on Nerdist’s podcasts and shows.  But these are just the basics.  We’re talking about developing several live-events, tapings, and podcasts above and beyond the kind of stuff we do now.  It’s all very cool.  It’s all very nerdy.

“It’s all very nerdy!” Well, that sounds just right. That’s exactly what we here at the Word of the Nerd are all about, aren’t we? So, of course you realize some of the nerds from this blog will be attending these fantastic events, starting with C2E2,  to bring you the latest and greatest straight from the floor! Plus, part of our team will be working on a truly nerdy vision, A Con-voluted Story.

If you have yet to check out the story behind the story, then I think it’s high time you check it out! A CON-voluted Story is a documentary about the convention experience from the perspective of the attendees. Like that of one Chris Hardwick, for example, who has been a fan of these events long before ReedPop came knocking at his door,

I am THRILLED to be working with ReedPOP in an official capacity. I attended C2E2 last year, and, while still a young event, I was amazed at how well-organized and fan-friendly it was. Between C2E2, New York Comic Con, and ReedPOP’s other events, this partnership makes all the sense in the world for Nerdist Industries. I know this because were we to not be in business with ReedPOP, I’d still be attending these events as a fan.

So a congratulations to Hardwick and ReedPop for a mutually beneficial partnership! I personally look forward to all of the nerdy goodness that will come of it and I also promise to keep up my record of not tackling Mr. Hardwick when I see him at the Con. I will be good… I promise… even if he will be even more prevalent this year.

One more thing! Have you hugged your nerd today? If not, here’s one way you can: A CON-voluted Story is a Kickstarter project that could use your support, so follow the link to the project and donate, share the link and just spread the good WORD OF THE NERD!