diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/axis_equal_demo.py b/examples/pylab_examples/axis_equal_demo.py
index b05ff7fff9e5..998720dac1de 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/axis_equal_demo.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/axis_equal_demo.py
@@ -1,31 +1,32 @@
 '''This example is only interesting when ran in interactive mode'''
 
-from pylab import *
+import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+import numpy as np
 
 # Plot circle or radius 3
 
-an = linspace(0, 2*pi, 100)
+an = np.linspace(0, 2*np.pi, 100)
 
-subplot(221)
-plot(3*cos(an), 3*sin(an))
-title('not equal, looks like ellipse', fontsize=10)
+plt.subplot(221)
+plt.plot(3*np.cos(an), 3*np.sin(an))
+plt.title('not equal, looks like ellipse', fontsize=10)
 
-subplot(222)
-plot(3*cos(an), 3*sin(an))
-axis('equal')
-title('equal, looks like circle', fontsize=10)
+plt.subplot(222)
+plt.plot(3*np.cos(an), 3*np.sin(an))
+plt.axis('equal')
+plt.title('equal, looks like circle', fontsize=10)
 
-subplot(223)
-plot(3*cos(an), 3*sin(an))
-axis('equal')
-axis([-3, 3, -3, 3])
-title('looks like circle, even after changing limits', fontsize=10)
+plt.subplot(223)
+plt.plot(3*np.cos(an), 3*np.sin(an))
+plt.axis('equal')
+plt.axis([-3, 3, -3, 3])
+plt.title('looks like circle, even after changing limits', fontsize=10)
 
-subplot(224)
-plot(3*cos(an), 3*sin(an))
-axis('equal')
-axis([-3, 3, -3, 3])
-plot([0, 4], [0, 4])
-title('still equal after adding line', fontsize=10)
+plt.subplot(224)
+plt.plot(3*np.cos(an), 3*np.sin(an))
+plt.axis('equal')
+plt.axis([-3, 3, -3, 3])
+plt.plot([0, 4], [0, 4])
+plt.title('still equal after adding line', fontsize=10)
 
-show()
+plt.show()