diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/fonts_demo.py b/examples/pylab_examples/fonts_demo.py
index 002eed72b850..a49ca221057b 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/fonts_demo.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/fonts_demo.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 alignment = {'horizontalalignment': 'center', 'verticalalignment': 'baseline'}
 # Show family options
 
-family = ['serif', 'sans-serif', 'cursive', 'fantasy', 'monospace']
+families = ['serif', 'sans-serif', 'cursive', 'fantasy', 'monospace']
 
 font1 = font0.copy()
 font1.set_size('large')
@@ -22,69 +22,67 @@
 t = text(-0.8, 0.9, 'family', fontproperties=font1,
          **alignment)
 
-yp = [0.7, 0.5, 0.3, 0.1, -0.1, -0.3, -0.5]
+yp = [0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2]
 
-for k in range(5):
+for k, family in enumerate(families):
     font = font0.copy()
-    font.set_family(family[k])
-    if k == 2:
-        font.set_name('Script MT')
-    t = text(-0.8, yp[k], family[k], fontproperties=font,
+    font.set_family(family)
+    t = text(-0.8, yp[k], family, fontproperties=font,
              **alignment)
 
 # Show style options
 
-style = ['normal', 'italic', 'oblique']
+styles = ['normal', 'italic', 'oblique']
 
 t = text(-0.4, 0.9, 'style', fontproperties=font1,
          **alignment)
 
-for k in range(3):
+for k, style in enumerate(styles):
     font = font0.copy()
     font.set_family('sans-serif')
-    font.set_style(style[k])
-    t = text(-0.4, yp[k], style[k], fontproperties=font,
+    font.set_style(style)
+    t = text(-0.4, yp[k], style, fontproperties=font,
              **alignment)
 
 # Show variant options
 
-variant = ['normal', 'small-caps']
+variants = ['normal', 'small-caps']
 
 t = text(0.0, 0.9, 'variant', fontproperties=font1,
          **alignment)
 
-for k in range(2):
+for k, variant in enumerate(variants):
     font = font0.copy()
     font.set_family('serif')
-    font.set_variant(variant[k])
-    t = text(0.0, yp[k], variant[k], fontproperties=font,
+    font.set_variant(variant)
+    t = text(0.0, yp[k], variant, fontproperties=font,
              **alignment)
 
 # Show weight options
 
-weight = ['light', 'normal', 'medium', 'semibold', 'bold', 'heavy', 'black']
+weights = ['light', 'normal', 'medium', 'semibold', 'bold', 'heavy', 'black']
 
 t = text(0.4, 0.9, 'weight', fontproperties=font1,
          **alignment)
 
-for k in range(7):
+for k, weight in enumerate(weights):
     font = font0.copy()
-    font.set_weight(weight[k])
-    t = text(0.4, yp[k], weight[k], fontproperties=font,
+    font.set_weight(weight)
+    t = text(0.4, yp[k], weight, fontproperties=font,
              **alignment)
 
 # Show size options
 
-size = ['xx-small', 'x-small', 'small', 'medium', 'large',
-        'x-large', 'xx-large']
+sizes = ['xx-small', 'x-small', 'small', 'medium', 'large',
+         'x-large', 'xx-large']
 
 t = text(0.8, 0.9, 'size', fontproperties=font1,
          **alignment)
 
-for k in range(7):
+for k, size in enumerate(sizes):
     font = font0.copy()
-    font.set_size(size[k])
-    t = text(0.8, yp[k], size[k], fontproperties=font,
+    font.set_size(size)
+    t = text(0.8, yp[k], size, fontproperties=font,
              **alignment)
 
 # Show bold italic
@@ -93,21 +91,21 @@
 font.set_style('italic')
 font.set_weight('bold')
 font.set_size('x-small')
-t = text(0, 0.1, 'bold italic', fontproperties=font,
+t = text(-0.4, 0.1, 'bold italic', fontproperties=font,
          **alignment)
 
 font = font0.copy()
 font.set_style('italic')
 font.set_weight('bold')
 font.set_size('medium')
-t = text(0, 0.2, 'bold italic', fontproperties=font,
+t = text(-0.4, 0.2, 'bold italic', fontproperties=font,
          **alignment)
 
 font = font0.copy()
 font.set_style('italic')
 font.set_weight('bold')
 font.set_size('x-large')
-t = text(0, 0.3, 'bold italic', fontproperties=font,
+t = text(-0.4, 0.3, 'bold italic', fontproperties=font,
          **alignment)
 
 axis([-1, 1, 0, 1])
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/fonts_demo_kw.py b/examples/pylab_examples/fonts_demo_kw.py
index d29e0edcc8dc..08c49abc85cf 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/fonts_demo_kw.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/fonts_demo_kw.py
@@ -12,61 +12,57 @@
 
 # Show family options
 
-family = ['serif', 'sans-serif', 'cursive', 'fantasy', 'monospace']
+families = ['serif', 'sans-serif', 'cursive', 'fantasy', 'monospace']
 
 t = text(-0.8, 0.9, 'family', size='large', **alignment)
 
-yp = [0.7, 0.5, 0.3, 0.1, -0.1, -0.3, -0.5]
+yp = [0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2]
 
-for k in range(5):
-    if k == 2:
-        t = text(-0.8, yp[k], family[k], family=family[k],
-                 name='Script MT', **alignment)
-    else:
-        t = text(-0.8, yp[k], family[k], family=family[k], **alignment)
+for k, family in enumerate(families):
+    t = text(-0.8, yp[k], family, family=family, **alignment)
 
 # Show style options
 
-style = ['normal', 'italic', 'oblique']
+styles = ['normal', 'italic', 'oblique']
 
 t = text(-0.4, 0.9, 'style', **alignment)
 
-for k in range(3):
-    t = text(-0.4, yp[k], style[k], family='sans-serif', style=style[k],
+for k, style in enumerate(styles):
+    t = text(-0.4, yp[k], style, family='sans-serif', style=style,
              **alignment)
 
 # Show variant options
 
-variant = ['normal', 'small-caps']
+variants = ['normal', 'small-caps']
 
 t = text(0.0, 0.9, 'variant', **alignment)
 
-for k in range(2):
-    t = text(0.0, yp[k], variant[k], family='serif', variant=variant[k],
+for k, variant in enumerate(variants):
+    t = text(0.0, yp[k], variant, family='serif', variant=variant,
              **alignment)
 
 # Show weight options
 
-weight = ['light', 'normal', 'medium', 'semibold', 'bold', 'heavy', 'black']
+weights = ['light', 'normal', 'medium', 'semibold', 'bold', 'heavy', 'black']
 
 t = text(0.4, 0.9, 'weight', **alignment)
 
-for k in range(7):
-    t = text(0.4, yp[k], weight[k], weight=weight[k],
+for k, weight in enumerate(weights):
+    t = text(0.4, yp[k], weight, weight=weight,
              **alignment)
 
 # Show size options
 
-size = ['xx-small', 'x-small', 'small', 'medium', 'large',
-        'x-large', 'xx-large']
+sizes = ['xx-small', 'x-small', 'small', 'medium', 'large',
+         'x-large', 'xx-large']
 
 t = text(0.8, 0.9, 'size', **alignment)
 
-for k in range(7):
-    t = text(0.8, yp[k], size[k], size=size[k],
+for k, size in enumerate(sizes):
+    t = text(0.8, yp[k], size, size=size,
              **alignment)
 
-x = 0
+x = -0.4
 # Show bold italic
 t = text(x, 0.1, 'bold italic', style='italic',
          weight='bold', size='x-small',
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
index 6193f02386f4..67724f1e4c01 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
@@ -541,9 +541,10 @@ def __call__(self, s):
                          'Arial', 'Helvetica', 'Avant Garde', 'sans-serif'],
                         validate_stringlist],
     'font.cursive':    [['Apple Chancery', 'Textile', 'Zapf Chancery',
-                         'Sand', 'cursive'], validate_stringlist],
+                         'Sand', 'Script MT', 'cursive'], validate_stringlist],
     'font.fantasy':    [['Comic Sans MS', 'Chicago', 'Charcoal', 'Impact'
-                         'Western', 'fantasy'], validate_stringlist],
+                         'Western', 'Humor Sans', 'fantasy'],
+                        validate_stringlist],
     'font.monospace':  [['Bitstream Vera Sans Mono', 'DejaVu Sans Mono',
                          'Andale Mono', 'Nimbus Mono L', 'Courier New',
                          'Courier', 'Fixed', 'Terminal', 'monospace'],
diff --git a/matplotlibrc.template b/matplotlibrc.template
index 3fceeff5c7f9..89529327f4b6 100644
--- a/matplotlibrc.template
+++ b/matplotlibrc.template
@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ backend      : %(backend)s
 #font.size           : 12.0
 #font.serif          : Bitstream Vera Serif, New Century Schoolbook, Century Schoolbook L, Utopia, ITC Bookman, Bookman, Nimbus Roman No9 L, Times New Roman, Times, Palatino, Charter, serif
 #font.sans-serif     : Bitstream Vera Sans, Lucida Grande, Verdana, Geneva, Lucid, Arial, Helvetica, Avant Garde, sans-serif
-#font.cursive        : Apple Chancery, Textile, Zapf Chancery, Sand, cursive
-#font.fantasy        : Comic Sans MS, Chicago, Charcoal, Impact, Western, fantasy
+#font.cursive        : Apple Chancery, Textile, Zapf Chancery, Sand, Script MT, cursive
+#font.fantasy        : Comic Sans MS, Chicago, Charcoal, Impact, Western, Humor Sans, fantasy
 #font.monospace      : Bitstream Vera Sans Mono, Andale Mono, Nimbus Mono L, Courier New, Courier, Fixed, Terminal, monospace
 
 ### TEXT