Given the names you already mentioned, I am assuming you're referring to companies that import and dub anime for U.S. release. Based on that, the most prominent companies are:
ADV Films: The largest anime distributor in North America and one of the larger American DVD distributors overall. Includes A.D. Vision and The Anime Network.
AN Entertainment: A subsidiary of the Anime Nation anime superstore which has recently plopped down on the American distribution map with titles like Miami Guns and Risky Safety
AnimEigo: Known for titles such as Bubblegum Crash, Oh! My Goddess, Battle Royal High School, and You’re Under Arrest.
Anime 18: A leading distributor of hentai anime and manga.
Anime Works: Carries a variety of anime titles, mostly less prominent ones. Best-known as the distributor for Berserk.
Bandai Entertainment: Another prominent anime dubber and distributor.
Central Park Media: One of the larger anime distributors, especially of older titles, the general CPM name covers several subsidiary labels, including U.S. Manga Corps (which focuses on teen and adult content) and Software Sculptors (which focuses on more family-friendly titles).
4Kids Entertainment: Although they also traffic heavily in American animation, 4Kids is the distributor for kid-oriented titles such as Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon and Shaman King, among others. They do not have a good reputation in anime fandom due to a tendency to bastardize what they import.
FUNimation: Distributor of Blue Gender, Kiddy Grade, and Dragonball titles, among others.
Geneon: Formerly Pioneer, they are the second-largest anime distributor in North America. Carries many prominent titles.
Kitty Media: A prominent hentai distributor.
Manga Video: Carries titles including Blood: The Last Vampire and Read or Die.
The Right Stuf International: Mostly an anime superstore, this company does have a couple of production titles under its belt, most notably Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko.
Synch-Point: The production division of Anime Gamers USA, Inc., Synch-Point is a relative newcomer to the anime and manga translation and dubbing business. They are responsible for the English language versions of FLCL and Di Gi Charat, among others.
Urban Vision: Distributes anime mostly aimed at more mature audiences, including Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D, and Twilight of the Dark Master.
Viz: Formerly known as Viz Video, Viz is a leading publisher of English manga adaptations and anime-related magazines. (They claim to be “the leading U.S. publisher of Japanese animation and comics. . . for English-speaking audiences,” but I have heard claims to the contrary on this.) Some Viz titles have been manufactured and distributed by other companies on this list.
Technically you could also add Disney/Mirimax to this list, since they import Miyazaki's stuff. There may also be a couple of newer entries that I'm forgetting.
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Well, my favorite two directors are Rintaro and Yoshiyuki Tomino. Rintaro has plenty of big hits such as Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999, Dagger of Kamui, Metropolis, and Astroboy. Personally, I find his animation technique to be my favorite out of all I have seen. It has a very artistic touch to it. He knows how to make things look beautifull and grand. Tomino of course is the creator of Gundam, and numerous other mecha-opera giants such as Ideon and Aura Battler Dunbine. His method of charcter drama driven story arcs is probably my favorite of any anime director/writer.
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