When last we met with the intrepid Scott Sugiuchi, he was living in Baltimore, playing bass in rock ’n’ roll bands and generally making art as a daily habit. His work was also kind of a lifeline: Sugiuchi-made Covid-19 PSA posters drew widespread praise for the relatable way they talked about safety in that somber and scary time.

A lot has happened since. Sugiuchi — the poster and visuals artist for this year’s Bumblefest — traded in his Baltimore city vistas for Santa Fe, New Mexico mountain views. “Living in a small, artsy kind of town is exactly where I want to be right now,” he tells PureHoney. “I was able to set up a nice studio space off my garage and fill it with all my crap — I mean, ‘Inspiration.’”

In previous interviews, Sugiuchi has talked about collaborating with legendary artist and designer Art Chantry on a retrospective of Estrus Records, the notorious wisenheimer label from the Pacific Northwest that ranged across punk, indie, garage and more. That work is all but completed with the arrival of “Estrus Records: Shovelin’ The Shit Since ’87,” issued by Korero Press.

“I finally finished the Estrus Records book after about 4 years of work,” Sugiuchi writes “By far one of the hardest things I’ve ever worked on. I was very lucky to work with a super-talented writer, Chris Coyle, and I can’t say enough about getting to work with Estrus label founder Dave Crider and designer Art Chantry.

“Both of these guys were gods to me back in the ’90s, and sometimes it’s very disappointing to meet your heroes, but not in this instance. Both of these guys were total gems, inspiring, encouraging and straight-up cool dudes to work with. There’s a reason the label was so successful and attracted bands like The Mummies, Man or Astroman? and Southern Culture on the Skids—the power of the people behind the label. Geniuses!”

The book team mounted a Kickstarter drive to fund “extra goodies” including a dust jacket and “sick green ink printing on the page edges,” and hit their goal in about two hours, according to Sugiuchi. “The response has been amazing,” he marvels. While the book hits shelves in November, Kickstarter backers get their copies in September. A book signing tour of the West Coast and a few other cities is also planned. “Lots of surprises in store for that one,” Sugiuchi promises.

Apart from the Estrus project, Sugiuchi found himself slinging freelance design until a dream job materialized as art director for Austin, Texas-based Alamo Drafthouse Cinema — a company known for, among other things, its fantastic movie poster re-imaginings.

“It’s a 39 venue and growing theater chain that serves insanely good food and locally sourced beers that also caters to movie nerds of all stripes—mainstream, indy, obscuro VHS obsessives, etc.,” Sugiuchi says. “It’s a ridiculously fun job. In the last year, I’ve worked on everything from “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” to “Oppenheimer.” The sheer number of brands and people I get to interact with, Mattel, A24, Paramount, Warner Bros., IFC, Wu Tang’s RZA, Wes Anderson, Disney, Marvel, etc., is pretty much a dream. And the company is just full of inspiring, cool people.”

It’s tough to imagine someone better suited to his job. But Sugiuchi still does freelance artwork for musicians, many of whom come back to him again and again. He mentions a few clients: “Lots of work with Hi-Tide Recordings, Tiki Overlords, Hidden Harbor, Oni Press (“Scott Pilgrim,” etc.), Double Crown Records and tons of other stuff. I often can’t believe how much FUN work I get to do on a daily basis, no complaints.”

It’s a given that none of us truly knows where we might end up, and the last few years in particular have been strange ones when it comes to change. As the world grappled with a pandemic, Sugiuchi was on a path toward artistic fulfillment and professional satisfaction that most people might not dare to imagine. But that’s what artists do; they make their dreams and ours a reality. Who knows where he’ll be three years from now.

Bumblefest is 40 acts on five stages, Sept. 1 and 2, in downtown West Palm Beach. bumblefest.com. Visit scottsugiuchi.com. ~ Tim Moffatt