diff --git a/src/backends/gr.jl b/src/backends/gr.jl
index d182c821..ac08d15f 100644
--- a/src/backends/gr.jl
+++ b/src/backends/gr.jl
@@ -269,14 +269,6 @@ end
 # ---------------------------------------------------------
 
 # draw ONE Shape
-# function gr_draw_marker(xi, yi, msize, shape::Shape)
-#     sx, sy = shape_coords(shape)
-#     GR.selntran(0)
-#     xi, yi = GR.wctondc(xi, yi)
-#     GR.fillarea(xi + sx * 0.0015msize,
-#                 yi + sy * 0.0015msize)
-#     GR.selntran(1)
-# end
 function gr_draw_marker(xi, yi, msize, shape::Shape)
     sx, sy = shape_coords(shape)
     # convert to ndc coords (percentages of window)
@@ -963,52 +955,12 @@ function gr_display(sp::Subplot{GRBackend}, w, h, viewport_canvas)
             GR.drawimage(xmin, xmax, ymax, ymin, w, h, rgba)
         end
 
-        # if anns != nothing
-            # TODO handle series annotations
-            # TODO: this should be moved with SeriesAnnotations... iterate like:
-            #           for (xi,yi,str,shape) in eachann(anns, sp) ... end
-            #       or maybe
-            #           anns.sp = sp
-            #           for (xi,yi,str,shape) in anns ... end
-            # TODO: maybe scrap all of this and do some preprocessing to overwrite the marker shape with
-            #       a vector of the computed shapes??  then marker_z, etc will still work
-            # @assert !is3d(sp)
-            # shapefillcolor = plot_color(ann.shapefill.color, ann.shapefill.alpha)
-            # shapestrokecolor = plot_color(ann.shapestroke.color, ann.shapestroke.alpha)
-            # for i=1:length(y)
-            #     xi = cycle(x,i)
-            #     yi = cycle(y,i)
-            #     # @show anns.strs typeof(anns.strs)
-            #     str = cycle(anns.strs,i)
-
-                # if !isnull(anns.baseshape)
-                #     # get the width and height of the string (in mm)
-                #     sw, sh = text_size(str, anns.font.pointsize)
-                #
-                #     # how much to scale the base shape?
-                #     xscale = 0.5 * resolve_mixed(MixedMeasures(0, 0, sw), sp, :x)
-                #     yscale = 0.5 * resolve_mixed(MixedMeasures(0, 0, sh), sp, :y)
-                #
-                #     # get the shape for this x/y/str
-                #     shape = scale(get(anns.baseshape), xscale, yscale)
-                #     translate!(shape, xi, yi)
-                #
-                #     # draw the interior
-                #     gr_set_fill(shapefillcolor)
-                #     GR.fillarea(shape_coords(shape)...)
-                #
-                #     # draw the shapes
-                #     gr_set_line(anns.shapestroke.width, anns.shapestroke.style, shapestrokecolor)
-                #     GR.polyline(shape_coords(shape)...)
-                # end
-
-            # this is all we need to add the series_annotations text
-            anns = series[:series_annotations]
-            for (xi,yi,str) in EachAnn(anns, x, y)
-                gr_set_font(anns.font)
-                gr_text(GR.wctondc(xi, yi)..., str)
-            end
-        # end
+        # this is all we need to add the series_annotations text
+        anns = series[:series_annotations]
+        for (xi,yi,str) in EachAnn(anns, x, y)
+            gr_set_font(anns.font)
+            gr_text(GR.wctondc(xi, yi)..., str)
+        end
 
         GR.restorestate()
     end
diff --git a/src/backends/pyplot.jl b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
index 2a342c90..25a95ab3 100644
--- a/src/backends/pyplot.jl
+++ b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
@@ -803,16 +803,6 @@ function py_add_series(plt::Plot{PyPlotBackend}, series::Series)
                 push!(handle, ax[:add_patch](patches))
             end
         end
-        # path = py_path(x, y)
-        # patches = pypatches.pymember("PathPatch")(path;
-        #     label = series[:label],
-        #     zorder = series[:series_plotindex],
-        #     edgecolor = py_linecolor(series),
-        #     facecolor = py_fillcolor(series),
-        #     linewidth = py_dpi_scale(plt, series[:linewidth]),
-        #     fill = true
-        # )
-        # handle = ax[:add_patch](patches)
         push!(handles, handle)
     end
 
diff --git a/src/components.jl b/src/components.jl
index 47d1c75c..e01f1131 100644
--- a/src/components.jl
+++ b/src/components.jl
@@ -390,31 +390,18 @@ type SeriesAnnotations
     strs::AbstractVector  # the labels/names
     font::Font
     baseshape::Nullable
-    # shapefill::Brush
-    # shapestroke::Stroke
-    # x
-    # y
 end
 function series_annotations(strs::AbstractVector, args...)
     fnt = font()
     shp = Nullable{Any}()
     scalefactor = 1
-    # br = brush(:steelblue)
-    # stk = stroke()
-    # α = nothing
     for arg in args
         if isa(arg, Shape) || (isa(arg, AbstractVector) && eltype(arg) == Shape)
             shp = Nullable(arg)
-        # elseif isa(arg, Brush)
-        #     brush = arg
-        # elseif isa(arg, Stroke)
-        #     stk = arg
         elseif isa(arg, Font)
             fnt = arg
         elseif isa(arg, Symbol) && haskey(_shapes, arg)
             shp = _shapes[arg]
-        # elseif allAlphas(arg)
-        #     α = arg
         elseif isa(arg, Number)
             scalefactor = arg
         else
@@ -426,11 +413,6 @@ function series_annotations(strs::AbstractVector, args...)
             scale!(s, scalefactor, scalefactor, (0,0))
         end
     end
-    # if α != nothing
-    #     br.alpha = α
-    #     stk.alpha = α
-    # end
-    # note: x/y coords are added later
     SeriesAnnotations(strs, fnt, shp)
 end
 series_annotations(anns::SeriesAnnotations) = anns
@@ -439,14 +421,10 @@ series_annotations(::Void) = nothing
 function series_annotations_shapes!(series::Series, scaletype::Symbol = :pixels)
     anns = series[:series_annotations]
     if anns != nothing && !isnull(anns.baseshape)
-        # x = series[:x]
-        # y = series[:y]
-        # we should use baseshape to overwrite the markershape attribute
+        # we use baseshape to overwrite the markershape attribute
         # with a list of custom shapes for each
         msize = Float64[]
         shapes = Shape[begin
-            # xi = cycle(x,i)
-            # yi = cycle(y,i)
             str = cycle(anns.strs,i)
 
             # get the width and height of the string (in mm)
@@ -455,26 +433,19 @@ function series_annotations_shapes!(series::Series, scaletype::Symbol = :pixels)
             # how much to scale the base shape?
             # note: it's a rough assumption that the shape fills the unit box [-1,-1,1,1],
             #       so we scale the length-2 shape by 1/2 the total length
-            # if scaletype == :pixels
             scalar = (backend() == PyPlotBackend() ? 1.7 : 1.0)
-                xscale = 0.5to_pixels(sw) * scalar
-                yscale = 0.55to_pixels(sh) * scalar
-            # else
-            #     sp = series[:subplot]
-            #     xscale = 0.5 * resolve_mixed(MixedMeasures(0, 0, sw), sp, :x)
-            #     yscale = 0.5 * resolve_mixed(MixedMeasures(0, 0, sh), sp, :y)
-            # end
+            xscale = 0.5to_pixels(sw) * scalar
+            yscale = 0.55to_pixels(sh) * scalar
+
+            # we save the size of the larger direction to the markersize list,
+            # and then re-scale a copy of baseshape to match the w/h ratio
             maxscale = max(xscale, yscale)
             push!(msize, maxscale)
-
-            # get the shape for this x/y/str
-            # @show get(anns.baseshape) xscale,yscale
             baseshape = cycle(get(anns.baseshape),i)
             shape = scale(baseshape, xscale/maxscale, yscale/maxscale, (0,0))
-            # @show shape
         end for i=1:length(anns.strs)]
         series[:markershape] = shapes
-        series[:markersize] = msize #1 # the scaling is handled in the shapes
+        series[:markersize] = msize
     end
     return
 end