diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/__main__.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/__main__.py
index 5dbad5d4f..29657401d 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/__main__.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/__main__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
 import sys
 from fontTools.varLib import main
 
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/cff.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/cff.py
index aaabf8573..a9ac11f12 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/cff.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/cff.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from fontTools.cffLib import (
 	FontDict,
 	VarStoreData
 )
-from fontTools.misc.py23 import BytesIO
+from io import BytesIO
 from fontTools.cffLib.specializer import (
 	specializeCommands, commandsToProgram)
 from fontTools.ttLib import newTable
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/featureVars.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/featureVars.py
index 47b4e9b11..3a7102a3d 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/featureVars.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/featureVars.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/opentype/spec/chapter2#featurevariat
 
 NOTE: The API is experimental and subject to change.
 """
-from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
 from fontTools.misc.dictTools import hashdict
 from fontTools.misc.intTools import popCount
 from fontTools.ttLib import newTable
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/instancer.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/instancer.py
index db6f40d4d..fd1e82bf0 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/instancer.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/instancer.py
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ are supported, but support for CFF2 variable fonts will be added soon.
 The discussion and implementation of these features are tracked at
 https://github.com/fonttools/fonttools/issues/1537
 """
-from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
 from fontTools.misc.fixedTools import floatToFixedToFloat, otRound
 from fontTools.varLib.models import supportScalar, normalizeValue, piecewiseLinearMap
 from fontTools.ttLib import TTFont
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/interpolatable.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/interpolatable.py
index f7ba6404f..d4d7eeda7 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/interpolatable.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/interpolatable.py
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ Call as:
 $ fonttools varLib.interpolatable font1 font2 ...
 """
 
-from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
-
 from fontTools.pens.basePen import AbstractPen, BasePen
 from fontTools.pens.recordingPen import RecordingPen
 from fontTools.pens.statisticsPen import StatisticsPen
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/interpolate_layout.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/interpolate_layout.py
index a007a1b25..d008e1cef 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/interpolate_layout.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/interpolate_layout.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 """
 Interpolate OpenType Layout tables (GDEF / GPOS / GSUB).
 """
-from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
 from fontTools.ttLib import TTFont
 from fontTools.varLib import models, VarLibError, load_designspace, load_masters
 from fontTools.varLib.merger import InstancerMerger
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/iup.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/iup.py
index 91dc4d4a1..45a7a5edf 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/iup.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/iup.py
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
-
-
 def iup_segment(coords, rc1, rd1, rc2, rd2):
 	# rc1 = reference coord 1
 	# rd1 = reference delta 1
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/merger.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/merger.py
index 44138b334..0fde561ab 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/merger.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/merger.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ Merge OpenType Layout tables (GDEF / GPOS / GSUB).
 """
 import copy
 from operator import ior
-from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
 from fontTools.misc.fixedTools import otRound
 from fontTools.misc import classifyTools
 from fontTools.ttLib.tables import otTables as ot
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/models.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/models.py
index 6bda4884a..e167be852 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/models.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/models.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 """Variation fonts interpolation models."""
-from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
 
 __all__ = ['nonNone', 'allNone', 'allEqual', 'allEqualTo', 'subList',
 	   'normalizeValue', 'normalizeLocation',
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/mutator.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/mutator.py
index 13f32359d..bd8882494 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/mutator.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/mutator.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ Instantiate a variation font.  Run, eg:
 
 $ fonttools varLib.mutator ./NotoSansArabic-VF.ttf wght=140 wdth=85
 """
-from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
 from fontTools.misc.fixedTools import floatToFixedToFloat, otRound, floatToFixed
 from fontTools.pens.boundsPen import BoundsPen
 from fontTools.ttLib import TTFont, newTable
@@ -21,6 +20,7 @@ from fontTools.varLib.iup import iup_delta
 import fontTools.subset.cff
 import os.path
 import logging
+from io import BytesIO
 
 
 log = logging.getLogger("fontTools.varlib.mutator")
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/mvar.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/mvar.py
index ecce736d7..8b1355bad 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/mvar.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/mvar.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
-
 MVAR_ENTRIES = {
 	'hasc': ('OS/2', 'sTypoAscender'),		 # horizontal ascender
 	'hdsc': ('OS/2', 'sTypoDescender'),		 # horizontal descender
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/plot.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/plot.py
index b37267294..b6561dc6a 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/plot.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/plot.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 """Visualize DesignSpaceDocument and resulting VariationModel."""
 
-from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
 from fontTools.varLib.models import VariationModel, supportScalar
 from fontTools.designspaceLib import DesignSpaceDocument
 from mpl_toolkits.mplot3d import axes3d
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/varStore.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/varStore.py
index 50512ee84..7239e9545 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/varStore.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/varStore.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
 from fontTools.misc.fixedTools import otRound
 from fontTools.ttLib.tables import otTables as ot
 from fontTools.varLib.models import supportScalar