diff --git a/docs/example_generation.jl b/docs/example_generation.jl
index 85dc6a71..8a0efd66 100644
--- a/docs/example_generation.jl
+++ b/docs/example_generation.jl
@@ -123,9 +123,10 @@ end
 
 # run it!
 # note: generate separately so it's easy to comment out
-generate_markdown(:qwt)
-generate_markdown(:gadfly)
-generate_markdown(:unicodeplots) 
+# generate_markdown(:qwt)
+# generate_markdown(:gadfly)
+# generate_markdown(:unicodeplots)
+generate_markdown(:pyplot)
 
 
 end # module
diff --git a/src/Plots.jl b/src/Plots.jl
index b37419ab..3e687b13 100644
--- a/src/Plots.jl
+++ b/src/Plots.jl
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ export
   backends,
   qwt!,
   gadfly!,
-  unicodeplots!
+  unicodeplots!,
+  pyplot!
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ heatmap!(args...; kw...)   = plot!(args...; kw..., linetype = :heatmap)
 
 savepng(args...; kw...) = savepng(currentPlot(), args...; kw...)
 savepng(plt::PlottingObject, args...; kw...) = savepng(plt.plotter, plt, args...; kw...)
+savepng(::PlottingPackage, plt::PlottingObject, fn::String, args...) = error("unsupported")  # fallback so multiple dispatch doesn't get confused if it's missing
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/backends/pyplot.jl b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f4424a68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+
+# https://github.com/tbreloff/Qwt.jl
+
+immutable PyPlotPackage <: PlottingPackage end
+
+pyplot!() = plotter!(:pyplot)
+
+# -------------------------------
+
+# function adjustQwtKeywords(iscreating::Bool; kw...)
+#   d = Dict(kw)
+#   d[:heatmap_n] = d[:nbins]
+
+#   if d[:linetype] == :hexbin
+#     d[:linetype] = :heatmap
+#   elseif d[:linetype] == :dots
+#     d[:linetype] = :none
+#     d[:marker] = :hexagon
+#   elseif !iscreating && d[:linetype] == :bar
+#     return barHack(; kw...)
+#   elseif !iscreating && d[:linetype] == :hist
+#     return barHack(; histogramHack(; kw...)...)
+#   end
+#   d
+# end
+
+function plot(pkg::PyPlotPackage; kw...)
+  # kw = adjustQwtKeywords(true; kw...)
+  # o = Qwt.plot(zeros(0,0); kw..., show=false)
+  plt = Plot(o, pkg, 0, kw, Dict[])
+  plt
+end
+
+function plot!(::PyPlotPackage, plt::Plot; kw...)
+  # kw = adjustQwtKeywords(false; kw...)
+  # Qwt.oplot(plt.o; kw...)
+  push!(plt.seriesargs, kw)
+  plt
+end
+
+function Base.display(::PyPlotPackage, plt::Plot)
+  # Qwt.refresh(plt.o)
+  # Qwt.showwidget(plt.o)
+  display(plt.o)
+end
+
+# -------------------------------
+
+savepng(::PyPlotPackage, plt::PlottingObject, fn::String, args...) = error("unsupported")
+
+# -------------------------------
+
+# create the underlying object (each backend will do this differently)
+function buildSubplotObject!(::PyPlotPackage, subplt::Subplot)
+  # i = 0
+  # rows = []
+  # for rowcnt in subplt.layout.rowcounts
+  #   push!(rows, Qwt.hsplitter([plt.o for plt in subplt.plts[(1:rowcnt) + i]]...))
+  #   i += rowcnt
+  # end
+  # subplt.o = Qwt.vsplitter(rows...)
+  error("unsupported")
+end
+
+
+function Base.display(::PyPlotPackage, subplt::Subplot)
+  # for plt in subplt.plts
+  #   Qwt.refresh(plt.o)
+  # end
+  # Qwt.showwidget(subplt.o)
+  display(subplt.o)
+end
+
diff --git a/src/plotter.jl b/src/plotter.jl
index fb6aae75..c62a0636 100644
--- a/src/plotter.jl
+++ b/src/plotter.jl
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 include("backends/qwt.jl")
 include("backends/gadfly.jl")
 include("backends/unicodeplots.jl")
+include("backends/pyplot.jl")
+
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------
@@ -12,40 +14,61 @@ plot(pkg::PlottingPackage; kw...) = error("plot($pkg; kw...) is not implemented"
 plot!(pkg::PlottingPackage, plt::Plot; kw...) = error("plot!($pkg, plt; kw...) is not implemented")
 Base.display(pkg::PlottingPackage, plt::Plot) = error("display($pkg, plt) is not implemented")
 
+subplot(pkg::PlottingPackage; kw...) = error("subplot($pkg; kw...) is not implemented")
+subplot!(pkg::PlottingPackage, subplt::Subplot; kw...) = error("subplot!($pkg, subplt; kw...) is not implemented")
+Base.display(pkg::PlottingPackage, subplt::Subplot) = error("display($pkg, subplt) is not implemented")
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------
 
 
-const AVAILABLE_PACKAGES = [:qwt, :gadfly, :unicodeplots]
+const AVAILABLE_PACKAGES = [:qwt, :gadfly, :unicodeplots, :pyplot]
 const INITIALIZED_PACKAGES = Set{Symbol}()
 backends() = AVAILABLE_PACKAGES
 
 
+function getPlottingPackage(sym::Symbol)
+  sym == :qwt && return QwtPackage()
+  sym == :gadfly && return GadflyPackage()
+  sym == :unicodeplots && return UnicodePlotsPackage()
+  sym == :pyplot && return PyPlotPackage()
+  error("Unsupported backend $sym")
+end 
+
+
 type CurrentPackage
   sym::Symbol
   pkg::PlottingPackage
 end
+CurrentPackage(sym::Symbol) = CurrentPackage(sym, getPlottingPackage(sym))
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------
 
 function pickDefaultBackend()
   try
     Pkg.installed("Qwt")
-    return CurrentPackage(:qwt, QwtPackage())
+    return CurrentPackage(:qwt)
+  end
+  try
+    Pkg.installed("PyPlot")
+    return CurrentPackage(:pyplot)
   end
   try
     Pkg.installed("Gadfly")
-    return CurrentPackage(:gadfly, GadflyPackage())
+    return CurrentPackage(:gadfly)
   end
   try
     Pkg.installed("UnicodePlots")
-    return CurrentPackage(:unicodeplots, UnicodePlotsPackage())
+    return CurrentPackage(:unicodeplots)
   end
   warn("You don't have any of the supported backends installed!  Chose from ", backends())
-  return CurrentPackage(:gadfly, GadflyPackage())
+  return CurrentPackage(:gadfly)
 end
 const CURRENT_PACKAGE = pickDefaultBackend()
 println("[Plots.jl] Default backend: ", CURRENT_PACKAGE.sym)
-# const CURRENT_PACKAGE = CurrentPackage(:gadfly, GadflyPackage())
 
 
+# ---------------------------------------------------------
+
 doc"""
 Returns the current plotting package name.  Initializes package on first call.
 """
@@ -74,6 +97,12 @@ function plotter()
       catch
         error("Couldn't import UnicodePlots.  Install it with: Pkg.add(\"UnicodePlots\")")
       end
+    elseif currentPackageSymbol == :pyplot
+      try
+        @eval import PyPlot
+      catch
+        error("Couldn't import PyPlot.  Install it with: Pkg.add(\"PyPlot\")")
+      end
     else
       error("Unknown plotter $currentPackageSymbol.  Choose from: $AVAILABLE_PACKAGES")
     end
@@ -96,6 +125,8 @@ function plotter!(modname)
     CURRENT_PACKAGE.pkg = GadflyPackage()
   elseif modname == :unicodeplots
     CURRENT_PACKAGE.pkg = UnicodePlotsPackage()
+  elseif modname == :pyplot
+    CURRENT_PACKAGE.pkg = PyPlotPackage()
   else
     error("Unknown plotter $modname.  Choose from: $AVAILABLE_PACKAGES")
   end