“We’re all punks and we don’t care. We’re boot boys who dye our hair. Leather jackets, jeans, and boots. Run about every night.” — The Exploited, “Punk’s Not Dead”
Oi! If punk were dead, you’d never know it from the latest Tomorrow King offering from 3A Toys! The Tomorrow Kings have been a staple of 3A Toys almost as long as there has been a 3A Toys. These ‘bot-fighting warriors from the “Popbot” universe have always been a bit vaguely defined in terms of characterization, but the one thing that they’ve always had going for them is that they’ve consistently looked unassailably cool, and what Ashley Wood put together for his very English punk-influenced “Search & Destroy” Tomorrow King is certainly once of the strongest offering yet in the 3A Toys Popbot series. Let’s take a look and see if this figure lives up to the hype.
Video:
Text and Pics:
Right away, the artwork featured on the packaging creates that tether to classic British punk rock by way of a slight reworking of some lyrics from the Sex Pistols’ incendiary “God Save the Queen.” By altering the lyrics to “God save the Mortis Queen,” Ashley Wood has effectively tied the spirit of the Pistols’ most controversial song to the Popbot universe, and the result is a Tomorrow King that manages to stand unique among the group, which is ironic because there’s really nothing unique about this very standard, conventional punk look, but it’s not often we see this sort of thing in action figure form, so something that is a little tired and corny in reality is downright welcome here.
Now, since this figure is a Tomorrow King, he comes sporting the same shoes most of his brethren have come packed with — those ubiquitous 3A slip-on, loafer things. Normally I wouldn’t give them a second thought, but here, on this figure, I pretty much hated them. The first thing I did when I got my figure was replace them with a customized pair of boots I got from an Adventure Kartel 10-Finger Gang figure. I painted them black to resemble a pair of Dr. Martens, and the result is much more in line with the figure’s overall look. So I would highly recommend doing something similar for your figure as well. These make way more sense.
From his blue Mohawk to his distorted Union Jack shirt to his leather jacket to his grenades and bondage pants, this “UKTK” looks completely awesome. I mean, he looks like a kid you’d see at a Casualties show or at an Exploited show breaking beer bottles over his head. I’ve been calling him “Vyv” as an homage to Vyvyan from the old BBC series The Young Ones.
The spiky Mohawk is a nice touch and I’m particularly fond of the one wilting spike in the middle. I like that it’s not perfect, and it succeeds in making him look even more rough around the edges. 
His outfit looks effectively worn and lived-in, which is really cool. The leather jacket really looks like an old, beat-up leather jacket — all it’s missing is a few spikes and a big white CRASS logo painted on the back. His pants also succeed in looking old and worn, and the faded plaid pattern complements the jacket nicely. I’m not sure what’s going on with the fox tail, if that’s what it is, but it’s a neat little accessory/embellishment that adds to the overall character of the figure.
For accessories he comes with the two standard Tomorrow King swords and four grenades with the Union Jack printed on them. The grenades can be stored anywhere their clips can get a grip, so you have a lot of options in terms of display, which is nice. I like to keep two on his belt and two on his jacket.
Being a 1/6-scale 3A figure, he comes packed with articulation. It’s the same basic male body we’re used to seeing from 3A, so there are no real disappointments or surprises. He can be put in a wide array of dynamic poses, and his soft-goods clothing doesn’t hinder his range of motion much at all. Well, the jacket is a bit restrictive in the arms at times, but with some work just about any pose is achievable.
Under the coat, he’s wearing what is a pretty cool-looking tattered long-sleeved shirt. On the front we see the distorted Union Jack, while on the back there’s what looks to be a screaming face with what I think is the word ‘Discontent” printed just beneath it. A version of this figure was originally offered as a convention exclusive, and that version came with the grenades, but not the jacket. This may explain why on the back of his shirt there’s a spot to store the four grenades. It’s kinda goofy, but kinda cool at the same time, as though he could just reach over his shoulder and grab a grenade to toss at a rampaging robot (or at Parliament).
Offered during the same sale as the UKTK was the UKTQ, who is accompanying him in a few shots here (a full look at her will be up later this week). Suffice to say, the two of them together make a great pair. I’ve always just kinda admired the Tomorrow Kings and Queens from afar, but I’ve largely managed to convince myself that I didn’t really “need” any of them — until now. The instant this pair was solicited they shot to the stop of my want list, so when they finally hit Bambaland, I made sure I was ready. They are certainly two of my favorite figures released so far this year, which is saying a lot.
The UKTK was available for pre-order on Bambaland back in April, so if you’re interested in tracking down one for yourself, the secondary market is the only way to go, unfortunately. I do think he’s worth the trouble, though, because I really do think he’s my favorite 3A figure ever and I am thrilled to have him in my collection.