The series was created by writer Gary Friedrich and penciler Dick Ayers, the creative team of Marvel's long-running World War II title Sgt.

The series lasted for nine issues and was cover-billed simply as Combat Kelly in the postal indicia.

[1] With issue #5 (Feb. 1973), the cover title changed slightly to Combat Kelly and his Deadly Dozen.

[3] The series featured Corporal Kelly as the leader of a team of convicted criminals who serve in the army during the Second World War to pay for their crimes.

Aushenker went on to say that he believed that the writer, Gary Friedrich, was more worthy of a medal than the series' main character and namesake, Michael Kelly, for having written it.