There is a ridiculous number of obscure references in this comic.
In the thirties or forties, there was a man (I forget his name) who claimed just what Dr. Straub does here, only he was serious. He alternately claimed he was given the formula by a creature from Neptune and by a Swedish scientist.
Mail-order doctorates in divinity were a big thing in the sixties and seventies. This is what the Dr. in front of Hunter Thompson's name is for.
Finally, the french the thing from Neptune speaks is a bit of Rimbaud. I don't know what it means and I've never actually read Rimbaud, but I once heard his work described as 'surreal anti-wisdom' and thought I should throw a bit of it in somewhere. I read a short biography of him though and rather think that if I did know what it meant I'd be embarrased to have it in here.
Candirus (in the newpaper Emil reads) are tiny fish found in the Amazon and perhaps other places which will swim up your penis and flare out barbs to lodge themselves there. They will then lay eggs, and if you don't get medical attention quick, your bladder will explode. The only remedy involves cutting your cock open. Yikes.