I'd say the premise a bit differently: matplotlib is tricky to learn but once you figure out how it works it's not bad. I just went through this process myself

I'd say the premise a bit differently: matplotlib is tricky to learn but once you figure out how it works it's not bad. I just went through this process myself (http://kachess.k2company.com http://kachess.k2company.com) and this outline would have been SO helpful. I learned these points the slow, hard way. (And while it doesn't suck, it's certainly not fun and intuitive.)