Proto Man Reveals That, While Arm Cannon Nice, He Would Give Anything to Have Left Hand Back

DR. LIGHT’S LAB — Saying he feels blessed at the technology yet wistful for his bygone appendage, local robot hero Proto Man revealed today that, while his sophisticated arm cannon is great in its own way, he would give anything to have his left hand back instead.

“No amount of heavy weapons development can replace the precious sensations of having a left hand,” said the visibly saddened android, struggling to make a sandwich using his right hand and blaster muzzle without incinerating the ingredients. “I can’t grab things or even press buttons with it. All I can do is destroy.”

Before his hand was replaced with the Proto Buster as part of his conversion into a fighting robot, Proto Man enjoyed such hobbies as pottery, golf and rock climbing. Now, he says, all of that is impossible without killing someone or burning down a building.

“Even putting on my scarf without blasting an impact crater is a daily struggle,” he lamented.

Since his construction, Proto Man’s various appendages have been modified for scientific experimentation. His creator, however, sees his loss of limb more optimistically.

“It was a big sacrifice for him, to be sure,” said Doctor Wily, the infamous scientist who originally retrofitted the gun onto Proto Man’s arm. “But Proto Man should be grateful to be the cutting edge of military engineering. With a gun like that permanently soldered to my arm, you wouldn’t see me complaining. I would be too busy saving lives and being a hero!”

Though still despondent about his affliction, Proto Man acknowledges he is one of the lucky ones. He hopes that his story can be a message of hope to the many robots out there whose hands are spikes, bazookas, or rotating blades.

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Too Soon? Coronavirus Is Getting a Funko Pop

Noted pop culture collectible company Funko will be expanding their line of vinyl figures with their latest release, Coronavirus. But isn’t it a little too soon? Personally, this feels a bit rushed but the company themselves weighed in on social media.

“Inclusion and diversity in our product lines are key at Funko,” said enthusiastic CEO Charles Rank via the company’s official Facebook page. “We are very excited for this launch and are hoping fans enjoy this awesome addition to their collections.”

Some feel that the addition is a bit too soon and in poor taste.

“In the beginning stages of a pandemic, it’s a poor decision to make money off anthropomorphizing a disease that continues to take lives,” said Sophia Johnson in a comment on the post. “At least wait until the height of the death toll. You’ll sell way more when people finally start taking this thing seriously.”

The company clarified that they were receptive to the feedback and would be postponing the toy line until they can be certain this pandemic claims an acceptable amount of lives to clear their overhead.

To preempt the release, the CDC and WHO have both issued warnings about the figures, stating they should maintain a distance of six feet from other figures on your shelf and that any figures that come in contact with the virus should self-isolate for 14 days.

Band’s Second Guitarist Getting Worried About All This ‘Non-Essential’ Talk

VACAVILLE, Calif. — Local rhythm guitarist Glenn Wemple is increasingly worried about all this “non-essential” talk amid the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing social distancing orders, according to sources.

“Why do we have to upend every single societal norm just because of some tiny little microscopic virus?” said Wemple, who strums an orange-and-white Rickenbacker for local speed metal band Chilantro. “I’ve played in this band for two-and-a-half years, man — I know bands are looking to cut corners because money is getting tight. All the guys are much slower to return my texts, and they didn’t include me on a livestream Q & A earlier in the week. They didn’t answer any of my questions either, which also sucked.”

Chilantro fans admit that Wemple plays a nice role in the band, but is nothing compared to Todd “The Ripper” Ralston’s “absolute fucking fire and essential to their core” playing.

“You know, I truly don’t think I could survive without Todd’s life-affirming riffs,” said local promoter Wally Boykins via Zoom while awaiting the $1,200 check that will float him until the Vacaville scene starts popping again. “Glenn’s a pretty nice guy, too — hell of a creamsicle Rickenbacker he’s got. But when it really comes down to it, he doesn’t offer up much. A pedal could easily replace him and the band would be no worse for the wear.”

President Trump claimed he wants a minimum of two guitarists on stage per band at all live shows, and he thinks it’ll happen sooner than later.

“The warm weather is going to kill this virus, and we’ll be back to that big, big sound so fast, folks! This virus is a hoax, a shameful hoax — made by disgusting, unwashed folk-punk bands who should be blaming Obama, who is a bad dude, for the bad rhythm guitarist economy,” said Trump. “Summer festival season is coming: we’re talking two million at Bonnaroo, three million. You think one guitarist can handle that? You’re going to see three, four, five guitarists! We’ll have so many guitarists on stage, you won’t believe it, folks.”

At press time, Wemple had copied and pasted Trump’s press conference YouTube link into an email draft for the band with a subject line that read, “Re: ESSENTIAL!”

Review: ‘Resident Evil 3’ Failed to Deliver One Scare After We Muted It and Turned on All the Lights

Resident Evil 3 is the latest remake in the sprawling, allegedly scary franchise, and, on the surface, picks up where last year’s masterful Resident Evil 2 remake left off both in form and function. Unfortunately, however, the newest edition to this franchine fails to live up to the hype in every possible way, fumbling every frightening sequence after we muted the game audio and turned on all the lights in the office.

It’s difficult to overstate the massive creative missteps Capcom made here.

While the Downtown area’s maze-like alleyways induced claustrophobia on par with the best of Resident Evil 2’s police station, any sense of dread was immediately sucked out of the game as soon as we turned on every lamp we could find. And the dense, atmospheric sound design the series is known for just didn’t show up this time. Everything from the shuffling zombie feet to the fleshy stomps of a hunter gamma failed to terrify as soon as we ripped our headphones out of the computer.

What were the designers thinking?

But what about the titular Nemesis? Surely that hulking monstrosity could save such an ill-conceived experience. Yes, the few times he stalked us through Downtown were probably tension-filled thrill rides, but we can’t say for sure. It was hard to tell from the other side of the room while watching through the cracks between our fingers. Once we closed our eyes and stuck our fingers in our ears, the monster was simply not as terrifying as the game had advertised. 

Even the game’s death scenes, which may or may not be as brutal as ever, don’t deliver what series-long fans crave. Their impact was mitigated every time we turned off the monitor before they got too gory. These should’ve been a home run, the easiest scares to land, but they fall flat when the screen isn’t on. Does that even have to be said?

In the end, Resident Evil 3 falters where the past few entries in the series succeeded in dimly lit gaming rooms. It’s an inconsequential experience we’d already forgotten about by the time we put the controller down and were checking under our beds for monsters.

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Guy Proud to Not Own TV Looks Real Fucking Stupid Now

PORTLAND, Ore. — Local man Wendell Slacks, who has consistently boasted throughout the years about how proud he is to not own a TV, looks “pretty fucking stupid right about now,” satisfied friends and family confirmed.

“I’ve always thought it was just better to go outside — you know, go swimming, hiking, boating, parasailing — anything but just sitting around, staring at the ‘boob tube,’ as I call it,” preached an unsettlingly confident Slacks. “Of course, I can’t do any of that right now, but still, I think it’s important for people to know that I, personally, think watching TV and playing video games is a huge waste of time. I mean, there’s a whole big world out there for you to enjoy at an unknown point in the future.”

Slacks’ “distraction-free” lifestyle means he lives without a television, computer, gaming system, phone, tablet, or palm pilot, much to the chagrin of those around him.

“I have to literally hide in the doghouse if I want to watch Netflix,” complained Mikhail Kevdev, Slacks’ exasperated boyfriend. “The whole situation seems literally inhumane. And I don’t mind spending time with Dr. Butterbelly, but sometimes he doesn’t like what I’m watching. And besides, Wendell should be able to recognize that there’s a time and place for everything… and now is not the time to go rock climbing or explore a cave system. Now is the time to binge watch ‘Cake Boss’ and play ‘Resident Evil’ till our eyeballs turn to salt.”

While fresh air, sunlight, and human contact can typically contribute to physical and emotional wellness, experts agree that all that shit can wait for the time being.

“While limiting screen time is beneficial to one’s health, Wendell is royally fucked right now,” explained Martha Koenigsburg, a sociologist and ardent detractor of Slacks. “He’s always shitting on people for ‘not enjoying life enough’ and encouraging people to just ‘put the phones down and enjoy what’s around you.’ Well, what’s around you now, Wendell? Four motherfucking walls covered in tacky art! While everyone else is having fun talking about ‘Tiger King,’ he’s sitting around jerking it to shitty, old books. Fuck off, loser.”

At press time, Slacks was writing a letter to a penpal in New York who died last week due to complications from COVID-19.

The 5 Best Gaming Headsets For Just Listening to a Nice Audiobook Once In a While

Whether you’re a Twitch star or a casual solo player, an absolute essential for any gamer is a reliable pair of high-quality gaming headphones. While these accessories are mostly praised for their ability to provide crisp game audio, many also agree that they are perfect for slowing down the bustle of daily life to listen to an audiobook by your favorite author. Audio is one of the most important elements to make a great work of literature truly immersive, so if you’re ready to invest in a top-notch pair of gaming headphones, here are Hard Drive’s top five gaming headsets for just listening to a nice audiobook every once in a while:

1 — Kotion 3X9000

At the top of the list is Kotion’s 3X9000 series, the best and most widely-used headset for truly hardcore consumers of modern prose. Its wide frequency response range means it is perfect for all fiction genres, being able to handle the levity of Neil Gaiman work or the suspense of John Grisham equally well.

2 — Mpow EG3 Pro

Perfect for younger gamers, this headset was made to handle the touching stories of rebellion and romance captured in today’s diverse selection of YA fiction. Every teen heartbreak is palpable in the timbre of the narration. The EG3 Pro’s noise cancellation feature also helps to simulate perfect silence between the narrator’s pregnant pauses.

3 — Sennheiser GSP 302

The GSP 302’s high quality built-in microphone means team communication with your squad will be crystal clear during a virtual book club meeting. The easy-to-adjust boom arm switches to mute automatically when you swivel it away from your mouth so that Bryan won’t hear you scoff at his derivative opinions about the Brontë sisters.

4 — HyperX Cloud Alpha

HyperX’s Cloud Alpha is wireless, allowing you to be untethered to your device, just as books can untether the minds from the humdrum of reality. A steady Bluetooth connection, a warm blanket, and cup of hot jasmine tea is all it takes to trick out your setup for relaxing with a book-on-tape in front of a lit fireplace.

5 — Razer Kraken X

Overall, these headphones look amazing and are comfortable for long periods of wear, perfect for Twitch livestreaming for hours on end about your reaction to Hemingway’s A Farewell To Arms as you listen to it in real time.

Though some equipment may be expensive, serious gamers should use only the best hardware to sit back, catch up on their reading list, and let the magic of imagination whisk them away. Stay tuned for our upcoming list of most popular gaming PCs for reading e-books and watching PBS online!

Listen to the newest episode of our podcast, The Ace Watkins Presidential Hour:

We Sat Down With No One Because We’re Not Allowed To

One of the best parts of working for The Hard Times is getting to sit down with all of the celebrities, punk legends, and interesting people that grant us interviews. At least, it was one of the best parts of the job until coronavirus quarantine came and took it all away. How the hell are we supposed to do our job if we can’t sit down with anybody?!

Okay, I am legit losing my mind. I’m supposed to work “remotely” for the time being but I’m an interview guy! What am I supposed to do, interview my craigslist roommate?

The Hard Times: Hey Greg, quarantine sucks right?
Greg: Yeah
Great talk!

Ugh, see how much this sucks? I’ve interviewed Greg 14 days in a row and it’s been exactly that every time. He’s lucky, he’s an introvert, he can just retreat into his Nintendo switch. Not me, baby! I gotta be where the people are! Fuck it, let’s interview the cat!

The Hard Times: Mimsy, how has quarantine affected you as a cat?
Mimmsy: I don’t like you. 
What?
This interview is over, I scratch you! 
Oww goddamit! 

Great, now I have to worry about coronavirus AND Toxoplasmosis or whatever. Fucker must have nicked an artery or something. This is a lot of blood for a cat scratch. I don’t know if this is the brain parasite or the blood loss talking but I’m pretty sure I can interview that sock over there.

The Hard Times: Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us Mr. Stitch-heel
Mr. Stitch-heel the sock: My Pleasure! 
So, I understand you’re an athlete. 
You think I haven’t heard that joke before, fucker?
Hey, come on man.
How about I punch your fuckin’ lights out, pal?
Oww goddamit! 

Why does everything I anthropomorphize attack me?! Christ, who am I going to interview now? This Zoom chat window with Keith Richards in it?

Keith Richard: Hey, are we gonna start the interview now?
The Hard Times: Shut up, Alexa! 

Wait a minute, computers… technology… the phone! I can interview someone over the phone!

The Hard Times: Hey, is this Amber?
Amber: Yeah? 
Hey Amber, it’s Neil. You wanna get back together? 
No! 
Okay. Hey, I know this is another long shot but do you have Keith Richards’ number? 

The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die Finally Considering Name Change

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. — Emo revival favorites The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die are reportedly considering a name change, as 2020 has ruthlessly slaughtered the last of their remaining optimism.

“I think it all hit us during our first quarantine livestream when Bello introduced us and let out a heavy sigh halfway through our name,” admitted drummer Steven Buttery. “Sometimes he has to take a breath while saying it because it’s so long, but this time was different — it just felt so disingenuous to even suggest that shit doesn’t suck ass right now. I can’t see my parents despite living just a few streets from them, and I haven’t had Dunkin Donuts in weeks.”

“It’s hard to boldly proclaim you are no longer afraid to die when you douse your hands with a quart of Purell after touching a doorknob,” continued Buttery. “A pizza delivery man got too close to my front door and I stuck him with a cattle prod. Does this sound like a beautiful place to you?”

Keyboardist Katie Dvorak has been brainstorming possible replacement names.

“We don’t want to stray too far from the template. Our current frontrunner is, ‘The World Fucking Sucks but Maybe if We All Start Going to Church Again God Will Fix This,’” explained Dvorak, who is relearning how to play piano with latex gloves. “My first idea was, ‘Just Accept Your Losses Even Now; Ongoing Resistance Ultimately Launches Endless Suffering,’ which we all liked… but then I realized that the acronym would be JAYLENORULES. That just won’t work for us.”

Epitaph Records artist relations coordinator Lara Darrens elaborated on other changes in the TWIABP camp.

“They scrapped all their old merch, and right now are only selling signature prescription bottles of Lexapro,” explained Darrens. “The FDA probably wouldn’t approve, but with all this coronavirus nonsense going on, previously opened and tempered with bottles of antidepressants are low on their list of priorities.”

Not to be outdone by their fellow indie/emo rivals, The Hotelier have allegedly changed their name to The Toilet Paper Hoardier.

Photo by Wikimedia.

Bernie Sanders Receives Mysterious Letter

BURLINGTON, Vt. — Senator Bernie Sanders has reportedly received a mysterious white letter with a red seal less than a day after announcing he was dropping out of the Democratic primary for president, according to sources from within the campaign.

“I cannot get into the details at this time, but I have received a letter from Mr. Sakurai,” Senator Sanders said in a streamed video from his Vermont home. “Whether or not I am joining an organization to fight other heroes and villains of their respective realms is neither here nor there. But I will say this: while I used to say, ‘are you willing to fight for someone you don’t know?’ I now say, like my future colleague, ‘I fight for my friends.’”

Despite Sanders keeping his cards close to his chest as to whether or not he will join Super Smash Bros., political analysts agree that the move makes sense for him.

Smash Bros. is an environment where fighters get the living shit beat out of them — beyond their control — and then they’re ready for the next battle, at no cost. That sounds quite a bit like Bernie’s Medicare for All proposal,” said MSNBC commentator Chris Christopher. “I think it’s very likely that we see Bernie join Smash Bros., perhaps with AOC, Nina Turner, and the bird that landed on his podium in 2016 as potential assist trophies.”

As of press time, Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai denied claims that Sanders would be joining his tournament, as well as the proposition from fans that Senator Elizabeth Warren could join as his alt skin, citing that “their moves would be far too different.”

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