Chillicothe HS student uses unique hobby to volunteer, raise money for charity

CHILLICOTHE― Allison Lutz' basement is full of wigs, clothing patterns and racks, bins and totes of costumes. Of course, her trusty sewing machine sits proudly on her desk waiting to see what she comes up with next.

The Chillicothe High School student, also known as Galaxy Amethyst Cosplay, has made a career professionally cosplaying. Cosplay is the act of dressing up as a character from a movie, tv show or video game.

The hobby came about from the teenager's love of dressing up for Halloween. Her mom, Erin Lutz, used to help her make intricate costumes as a child. When she was nine years old, Allison wanted to dress up as a Weeping Angel, an alien from Doctor Who which disguises itself as a humanoid statue.

"I probably scared so many children going out looking like this very scary statue," Allison laughed.

While trick-or-treating, a stranger complimented her costume and suggested she visit a Comic-Con in North Carolina to show Doctor Who actor David Tennant her costume. Her family took a road trip at the stranger's suggestion and she was instantly hooked on the "nerdy" convention scene.

"The main appeal is seeing other people kinda like me," Allison said. "We're not in a big town or anything, so going to a bigger city and meeting a more diverse amount of people who like the same things as me is a really cool experience."

Erin said she was initially hesitant about going to a Comic-Con, but then realized how nurturing the event was. She said as a child Allison was the "theatre, center-of-attention-girl," and loved the positive attention that came from her unique costume being displayed at a convention.

"I got there and everybody was just so welcoming and very supportive of her. It was hard to walk the floor because people kept stopping her for pictures," Erin said. "I've really grown into the geekiness of it. You get to know the people in it more. There's a whole culture around it."

Now an 18-year-old senior, Allison has spent the last nine years developing her sewing and acting skills. She makes all of her own costumes (although, her mom is still happy to lend a hand when needed) using foam, duct tape, paint, modeling clay and other thrifted materials.

She has cosplayed as Tinkerbell, Captain Marvel (her costume is now framed and signed by Stan Lee), Cindy Lou Who and many more popular characters.

Many of the costumes can take months to make with intricate detailing and hand painting. She said she looks at costume-making as a puzzle, using both creativity and logic to complete the look.

Her acting skills have also made her an impressive cosplayer. She has acted locally since she was a child and recently qualified for an international drama competition that she will be attending in June. Her acting skills allow her to portray the character in appearance and demeanor.

Because of a combination of her complex costumes, convincing acting performances and maturity far beyond her years, Allison has made a name for herself in the cosplay community and has been invited to judge at Comic-Cons, guest on panels and attend a variety events. However, she has never accepted money from her hobby.

She was featured in the Chillicothe Gazette in 2014 after she asked for donations to the Ross County Humane Society in lieu of birthday presents. She said that year marked the start of her charity work.

Michael Wilson, a fellow cosplayer and friend that Allison met at a convention, has cosplayed for about 11 years. He has been a mentor to the teenager and has encouraged and assisted her in cosplaying for charity.

"Getting a lot of people coming to me and mentoring me and kind of lifting me up to the point where I'm at, I probably could not have done it without all of the support that I got from the people at Comic-Cons," Allison said.

Wilson said that he was one of the first people in the cosplay community to dress up for charity. When Allison saw the money he was raising for a good cause, she knew she wanted to do the same.

She accepts donations at her Comic-Con booth, which she donates to an animal welfare or a Cerebral Palsy organization. She also does readings and performances at local daycares and preschools in character for free.

"Raising money for different charities at conventions is one thing, but actually being able to be in the thick of it and putting yourself out there, seeing people at their most vulnerable, especially when it comes to like hospital visits and stuff like that, that's the hard part," Wilson said.

Allison runs a panel at conventions titled "Kids Can Cosplay" where she tells children the benefits of cosplay and encourages them to try it out. She answers any questions the audience has for her. She hopes the children see her cosplaying and believe that they can do it, too.

She said she has spent many years being underestimated in the cosplay community because of her age. Through years of judging competitions, running panels and winning contests, Allison has spent nine years proving her status in the cosplay community.

"It's usually an adult game," Wilson said. "To see her come in as a kid and make her presence known as if she belonged, which she did. She pretty much impressed so many people because of her professionalism."

Allison is graduating from Chillicothe High School in May and will attend Denison University in the fall, double majoring in English and education with a minor in theatre.

Megan Becker is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. Call her at 740-349-1106, email her at mbecker@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @BeckerReporting

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Galaxy Amethyst Cosplay in Chillicothe proves that anyone can cosplay