diff --git a/src/backends/pyplot.jl b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
index ee87fd1d..771f27d3 100644
--- a/src/backends/pyplot.jl
+++ b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ end
 # -------------------------------
 
 # convert colorant to 4-tuple RGBA
-getPyPlotColor(c::Colorant, α=nothing) = map(f->float(f(convertColor(c,α))), (red, green, blue, alpha))
+getPyPlotColor(c::Colorant, α=nothing) = map(f->float(f(convertColor(c,α))), [red, green, blue, alpha])
 getPyPlotColor(cvec::ColorVector, α=nothing) = map(getPyPlotColor, convertColor(cvec, α).v)
 getPyPlotColor(scheme::ColorScheme, α=nothing) = getPyPlotColor(convertColor(getColor(scheme), α))
 getPyPlotColor(c, α=nothing) = getPyPlotColor(convertColor(c, α))
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ function _add_series(pkg::PyPlotPackage, plt::Plot; kw...)
         extra_kwargs[:c] = convert(Vector{Float64}, d[:zcolor])
         extra_kwargs[:cmap] = getPyPlotColorMap(c, d[:markeralpha])
       else
-        extra_kwargs[:c] = getPyPlotColor(c, d[:markeralpha])
+        extra_kwargs[:c] = getPyPlotColor(c, d[:markeralpha])'
       end
       if d[:markeralpha] != nothing
         extra_kwargs[:alpha] = d[:markeralpha]
@@ -358,13 +358,14 @@ function _add_series(pkg::PyPlotPackage, plt::Plot; kw...)
       extra_kwargs[:edgecolors] = getPyPlotColor(d[:markerstrokecolor], d[:markerstrokealpha])
       extra_kwargs[:linewidths] = d[:markerstrokewidth]
     else
-      extra_kwargs[:markersize] = d[:markersize]
-      extra_kwargs[:markerfacecolor] = getPyPlotColor(d[:markercolor], d[:markeralpha])
+      extra_kwargs[:markersize] = d[:markersize].^2
+      extra_kwargs[:markerfacecolor] = getPyPlotColor(d[:markercolor], d[:markeralpha])'
       extra_kwargs[:markeredgecolor] = getPyPlotColor(d[:markerstrokecolor], d[:markerstrokealpha])
       extra_kwargs[:markeredgewidth] = d[:markerstrokewidth]
       extra_kwargs[:drawstyle] = getPyPlotStepStyle(lt)
     end
   end
+  dumpdict(extra_kwargs, "",true)
 
   # if d[:markeralpha] != nothing
   #   extra_kwargs[:alpha] = d[:markeralpha]
diff --git a/src/components.jl b/src/components.jl
index 035d1b98..77652196 100644
--- a/src/components.jl
+++ b/src/components.jl
@@ -250,7 +250,8 @@ end
     P2,
     P3,
     points,
-    BezierCurve
+    BezierCurve,
+    directed_curve
   
   typealias P2 FixedSizeArrays.Vec{2,Float64}
   typealias P3 FixedSizeArrays.Vec{3,Float64}
@@ -273,25 +274,24 @@ end
 
   points(curve::BezierCurve, n::Integer = 50) = map(curve, linspace(0,1,n))
 
-  function BezierCurve(p::P2, q::P2)
+  # build a BezierCurve which leaves point p vertically upwards and arrives point q vertically upwards.
+  # may create a loop if necessary
+  function directed_curve(p::P2, q::P2)
     mn = mean(p,q)
-    yoffset = max(0.2, min(1.0, abs(mn[2]-p[2])))
+    
+    # these points give the initial/final "rise"
+    yoffset = max(0.3, min(1.0, abs(mn[2]-p[2])))
     firstoffset = P2(0, yoffset)
-
     uppery = p + firstoffset
     lowery = q - firstoffset
+
+    # try to figure out when to loop around vs just connecting straight
+    # TODO: choose loop direction based on sign of p[1]??
     insideoffset = P2(0.2,0)
     inside = []
     if abs(p[1]-q[1]) <= 0.1 && p[2] >= q[2]
       inside = [uppery+insideoffset, lowery+insideoffset]
     end
-    # inside = if abs(p[1]-q[1]) <= 0
-    #     [uppery+insideoffset, lowery+insideoffset]
-    # else
-    #     []
-    # end
-
-    # if p[2] < q[2] + 0.5
         
     BezierCurve([p, uppery, inside..., lowery, q])
   end